Obama Makes Final Defense of Counterterrorism Legacy Before Handing Off To Trump

WASHINGTON ― In his last planned speech on national security, President Barack Obama warned his successor against rolling back several of the reforms he made to the way the U.S. wages war against terrorist groups.

Speaking Tuesday from the MacDill Air Force base in Tampa, Florida, Obama defended his legacy ― both from hawks who have accused him of withdrawing from the Middle East, and from liberals who have criticized his reliance on expansive surveillance and drones to fight wars. The outgoing president sought to convince the country that he had struck the correct balance, and encouraged the next administration to follow in his footsteps.