Republicans pounced Monday after CBS News released portions of a “60 Minutes” interview with President Obama that shows him hedging on whether to call the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, an act of terrorism.
“In new 60 Minutes clips released by CBS Obama refuses to call Benghazi attack terrorism when asked directly,” former Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said on Twitter.
"'60 Minutes' shld b renamed '59 Minutes',” wrote Ari Fleischer, who served as White House press secretary to former President George W. Bush. “They wait until it's almost over 2break news that wld hv been significant earlier.”
Republicans have argued that the administration deliberately avoided using the word "terrorism" for several weeks after the attack in order to preserve Obama's poll lead over Republican nominee Mitt Romney on national security issues.
However, Romney stopped using the issue to attack Obama after the president pointed out during their second debate that he'd called the attack an “act of terror” during a speech the next day in the Rose Garden.
U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans died in the assault on the consulate.
For more on the president's "60 Minutes" interview, click here.
