Obama Will Tell Americans Not to Give Into Fear About Terrorism

In a rare Oval Office address, President Barack Obama on Sunday night will urge Americans to not give into fear following attacks in Paris and California, while trying to assure the public that he takes the threat of terrorism seriously.

President Barack Obama gives a statement about the new National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 13, 2010. Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—In a rare Oval Office address, President Barack Obama on Sunday night will urge Americans to not give into fear following attacks in Paris and California, while trying to assure the public that he takes the threat of terrorism seriously.

Obama was not expected to announce major policy changes for targeting the Islamic State (ISIS). Administration officials said the president’s remarks would focus on how the terrorist threat has evolved and what steps the government is taking to keep Americans safe.

Regina Kuruppu reacts as she describes being on the 2nd floor of Building 3 at the Inland Regional Center during Wednesday's shooting in San Bernardino, on Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, in Redlands, Calif. Huddled beneath a desk, Kuruppu held tightly to her co-workers' hands and began to pray aloud, unable to drown out the terrified screams coming from one story below as the shooting rampage took place. AP Photo/Chris Carlson