John McCain Calls Pres. Obama "Directly Responsible" for the Orlando Murders

Sen. John McCain said Thursday that President Barack Obama was "directly responsible" for the massacre at the gay nightclub in Orlando. The former presidential candidate later walked back the comments, saying he misspoke.

The Arizona Republican, who has been sharply critical of the President's foreign policy strategy, argued that his failure to adequately address terror threats led to the rise of ISIS.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's spokesman immediately blasted McCain's remarks, saying, "Senator McCain's unhinged comments are just the latest proof that Senate Republicans are puppets of Donald Trump."

Omar Mateen, the gunman who killed 49 people at Orlando's Pulse nightclub over the weekend, pledged allegiance to ISIS during his attack. The Orlando killings intensified the debate in the United States, between progressives who blame the lack of gun laws, and conservatives who blame the lack of guns.

There was an armed off duty policeman guarding the Pulse Nightclub Saturday night in Orlando, but he had a pistol, whereas Mateen had an automatic rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Noted conservative blogger Ben Shapiro echoed these sentiments, saying of Obama: "the President who created ISIS and calls legitimate concern "Islamophobia" thinks YOU'RE responsible for dead people."