"Look, I have been deeply involved in moving on the hostage negotiation."
"I've been asking for a pause for a lot more than three days."
"I hope you remember that."
"You deserve what you have earned, and you have earned a hell of a lot more than you are getting paid now."
"The Israelis should be incredibly careful."
"Liberals have short memories. When I was coming up through college and graduate school, free speech was the big issue, but it was the opposite. It was liberals who were shouted down when they spoke."
"When terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death."
"We can't let petty partisan angry politics get in the way of our responsibility as a great nation."
"History has taught us that when terrorists don't pay a price for their terror. When dictators don't pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction."
"We made mistakes after 9/11. We felt that all-consuming rage that you feel now. But, don't give into that primal feeling, because we made mistakes. Don't make the same."
"This was an act of sheer evil. To any country, any organization, anyone thinking of taking advantage of this situation, I have one word: don’t."
"I have not given up hope of bringing these folks home."