Ahead of the busy Thanksgiving holiday, the U.S. government is “taking every possible step” to keep the country safe, President Barack Obama said Wednesday, seeking to reassure travelers and adding there is no known “specific and credible threat” to the U.S.
“We are taking every possible step to keep our homeland safe,” Obama said following a meeting with his national security advisers.
Obama said he and his team “know of no specific and credible intelligence indicating a plot on the homeland and that is based on the latest information I just received in the Situation Room.”
“As Americans travel this weekend to be with their loved ones, I want them to know that our counterterrorism, intelligence, homeland security and law enforcement professionals at every level are working overtime,” Obama said.
Obama’s reassurances come as ISIS has promised more terrorist strikes in the wake of the Paris attacks, and just a day after Obama recommitted to supporting France in a meeting with French President Francois Hollande.
Obama said Wednesday that his administration is protecting Americans with a two-pronged approach by attacking ISIS, including conducting more than 8,000 airstrikes, and securing American borders.
Speaking at a news conference at Washington’s Union Station later Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Americans must help protect the country’s safety.
“‘If you see something, say something’ has to be more than a slogan,” he said.