Sunday shows – ISIS leader’s death dominates

by The Hill staff - 10/27/19 11:43 AM ET

The death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during a U.S. military raid in Syria dominated the political talk shows on Sunday morning, which carried President Trump’s announcement of the mission live.

Trump’s top aides said the death of the terror group’s leader marked a “great day” for the U.S. and the world.

Read The Hill’s complete coverage below.

Trump announces death of ISIS leader in US raid

By MORGAN CHALFANT

President Trump announced Sunday that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been killed in a U.S. military raid in Syria.

“Last night, the United States brought the world’s number one terrorist leader to justice,” Trump said in remarks from the East Room of the White House. “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead.”

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Trump cites ‘Washington leaks’ for keeping raid on ISIS leader from congressional leaders

By REBECCA KLAR

President Trump said Sunday that he did not tell some congressional leaders about the U.S. military raid in which ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died, citing “Washington leaks.”

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Pence: ‘All credit’ for al-Baghdadi raid goes to Trump’s ‘decisiveness’ and ‘courage and professionalism’ of Special Forces

By ZACK BUDRYK

Vice President Pence on Sunday morning called the Saturday raid that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in northern Syria a “great day for America” and said it was a testament to President Trump’s “decisiveness.”

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National security adviser says ISIS leader’s death marks ‘great day’ for US, world

By REBECCA KLAR

National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said on Sunday that the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi marks a “great day” for the U.S. and world.

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Defense secretary: Raid that resulted in death of ISIS leader was ‘brilliantly executed operation’

By REBECCA KLAR

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Sunday that the raid that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was a “brilliantly executed operation.”

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Thornberry says there were ‘signs of al Qaeda and ISIS’ cooperation in Syria

By JUSTINE COLEMAN

The top GOP representative on the House Armed Services Committee said the location of the raid that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi could indicate some cooperation between ISIS and al Qaeda.

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Clapper: US can’t stop worrying about ISIS after leader’s death

By JUSTINE COLEMAN

Former National Director of Intelligence James Clapper warned Sunday that the U.S. can’t “stop worrying about ISIS” after the death of the group’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s death.

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Rice: Al-Baghdadi death ‘doesn’t mean we can declare “mission accomplished” and just walk away’

By ZACK BUDRYK

Former U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice said Sunday that while the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is “a major milestone,” steps will need to be taken to ensure the terror organization does not regroup.

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Pence demurs on whether diplomats alleging quid pro quo are lying

By ZACK BUDRYK

Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday morning said he was not aware of any quid pro quo in relation to the White House’s hold on military aid to Ukraine, but demurred on whether the officials who have testified on the issue are lying.

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Bannon: Pelosi’s impeachment strategy is ‘winning’

By LAUREN VELLA

Steve Bannon, a former White House chief strategist and long-time ally of President Trump, said in a radio interview broadcast on Sunday that Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) impeachment strategy is “winning.”

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GOP lawmaker: I haven’t heard ‘a single thing’ you could impeach Trump for

By RACHEL FRAZIN

House Foreign Affairs Committee member Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) has said he hasn’t heard “a single thing” that President Trump could be impeached for during witness testimony in the House impeachment inquiry.

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