WH Keeps Trying to Throw the Intel Community Under the Bus over ISIS, Media Not Buying It

ABC News White House correspondent Jon Karl hammered press secretary Josh Earnest today about the administration’s claims that it underestimated the threat of the Islamic State. Reports from the intelligence community suggest President Obama was warned about the threat for months.

For example, Karl cited briefings from at least one official in 2013, months before the president referred to the militant group as a “jayvee team” in a New Yorker interview, suggesting that the group with a serious threat. Earnest continued to argue President Obama was not referring to the Islamic State with those comments — which is belied by the transcript of the interview.

Earnest said the entire administration was taken by surprise of the Islamic State’s growth, but particularly underestimated the willingness of the Iraqi army to combat the threat.