Fox Host to McDonough: Did Admin ‘Threaten’ Sotloff, Foley Families Not to Deal with ISIS?

Fox News Sunday’s John Roberts asked White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough about the Obama administration’s handling of the kidnapping of freelance American journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley, alluding to comments by the Sotloff and Foley families that the White House told them “not to dare” ransom their son from ISIS of face prosecution.

“Why would the White House say something like that to them?” Roberts asked.

“In terms of what was communicated to the families, in the midst of many, many meetings over the course of these very difficult circumstance, we made clear what the law is,” McDonough answered. “We didn’t threaten anybody. That’s our responsibility, to make sure that we explain the law and uphold the law.”

“We took every effort and will continue to take every effort to secure our people,” he continued. “That included an operation that has now been made public that the president himself said was risky and flawlessly carried out very boldly by our military…Which is something about which we’re all very proud, but still haunted by the fact that we were not able to find our people.”

Roberts asked if there were a chance the White House could stage another raid.

“If there is, we will,” McDonough said.

Watch the clip below, via Fox News:

[Image via screengrab]

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