President Obama tried to reassure nervous Americans on Wednesday that the nation’s security services were ready for anything terrorists might throw at them.
Speaking on the eve of Thanksgiving, Obama said law enforcement officials have received no credible reports of “a plot on the homeland” like the horrific Nov. 13 massacre in Paris.
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“All of us recognize how horrific and heinous what took place in Paris was,” Obama said. “I know that Americans have been asking each other whether it’s safe here, whether it’s safe to fly or gather. I know that families have discussed their fears about the threat of terrorism around the dinner table, many for the first time since September 11th.”
But, Obama said, “we are taking every precaution to keep our homeland safe.”
“I want the American people to know, entering the holidays, that the combined resources of the military, intelligence and homeland security are on the case,” he said. “They’re vigilant, relentless and effective.”
Obama urged Americans to “go about usual Thanksgiving weekend activities … spending time with family and friends and celebrating our blessings.”
“While the threat of terrorism is a troubling reality of our age, we are both equipped to prevent attacks, and we are resilient in the face of those who would try to do us harm,” he said. “And that’s something we can all be thankful for.”
Obama spoke after a closed-door meeting in the Situation Room with Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson, FBI chief James Comey, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and other members of his national security team.
The White House said the president reviewed efforts to monitor threats and evaluate security procedures heading into the busy holiday travel season.
As Obama was speaking to the nation, German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with French President Francois Hollande in Paris. And in a show of solidarity, they laid flowers at a shrine to the massacre victims in the Place de le Republique.
This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.
Corky Siemaszko