Move Back
![Obama says ISIS is 'contained']()
In an interview that aired the same day as the Paris terror attacks, President Obama said that ISIS had been "contained." “I don't think they're gaining strength. What is true is that from the start our goal has been first to contain, and we have contained them. They have not gained ground in Iraq. And in Syria, they'll come in, they'll leave, but you don't see this systematic march by ISIL across the terrain,” the president said. The president fielded tough criticism for the comments, and the White House had to clarify that he meant the terror group was contained geographically in Syria and in Iraq. However, Obama was challenged on that point as well by Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said in Capitol Hill testimony that ISIS has not been contained.![Hillary Clinton justifies Wall Street ties by citing 9/11]()
In the Nov. 15 Democratic presidential primary debate, front-runner Hillary Clinton invoked the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks after Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders repeatedly criticized her for taking money from the financial sector and questioned whether she had the independence to overhaul the industry. “I represented New York, and I represented New York on 9/11 when we were attacked,” Clinton pointed out. “Where were we attacked? We were attacked in downtown Manhattan where Wall Street is. I did spend a whole lot of time and effort helping them rebuild. That was good for New York." Clinton was criticized by Democrats and Republicans alike for the comments. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley called them shameful at the most recent Democratic debate.![Jeb Bush fumbles answer on Iraq]()
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush floundered in May after he was first asked by Fox News' Megyn Kelly whether he would have authorized the Iraq war "knowing what we know now." In that Fox News interview, Bush said he would have, while acknowledging "mistakes." That response touched off a wave of criticism, with both Republicans and Democrats saying there would have been no reason to go to war, without intelligence showing weapons of mass destruction. He later claimed he misinterpreted the question, and gave a series of open-ended answers until he eventually said he would not have gone into Iraq and suggested he did not want to dishonor the memories of soldiers lost by giving that answer.![Ben Carson's remarks on homosexuality]()
GOP 2016 candidate and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson found himself in hot water in March when he asserted in an interview that homosexuality is a choice because people "go into prison straight, and when they come out, they're gay." He later retreated on that statement, saying he "realized that my choice of language does not reflect fully my heart on gay issues" and apologized for his remarks.![Trump confuses Quds for Kurds]()
2016 Republican front-runner Donald Trump went on Hugh Hewitt's radio show in September and found himself stumbling over a key foreign policy issue. When asked about Iran's elite Quds force, led by General Soleimani, Trump instead talked about the Kurdish forces. Some used the mix-up to question Trump's grasp of security issues. But Trump claimed later that he had misheard the question, and accused Hewitt of hitting him with a "gotcha question."![Martin O'Malley apologizes for saying 'All Lives Matter']()
At a Netroots Nation conference in July, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley was interrupted by Black Lives Matter protesters. In addressing them, O'Malley said: "Black lives matter, white lives matter, all lives matter." The statement outraged protesters, who said that O'Malley was minimizing their experience. O'Malley later came out and apologized. This earned him GOP scorn, including from Trump who called the backtrack "pathetic."![Joe Biden contradicts himself on bin Laden raid]()
In October, Vice President Biden contradicted himself on the decision-making behind the raid that killed Al Qaeda mastermind Usama bin Laden. Having previously said he was on the fence over the raid, he told participants at a forum honoring former Vice President Walter Mondale that while he privately supported the raid, he didn’t want to say so in front of everyone else as it risked "undercutting" his relationship with Obama -- if the president decided against the raid. Biden claimed he privately advised Obama to go ahead -- after advising in a Cabinet meeting that there should be another pass with a surveillance drone to make sure bin Laden really was at the compound.2015: The year in gaffes
As 2015 draws to a close, FoxNews.com looks at some of the biggest political gaffes of the year from both sides of the aisle.
Move Forward
- 2015: The year in gaffes
