Six of the 14 likeliest Republican presidential candidates chose to speak out on the Islamist terrorist attacks in Paris on their Facebook and Twitter accounts, a review by The Daily Signal shows.
The other eight of the GOP’s most prominent White House hopefuls didn’t post a single related statement or tweet within four days of the massacre at the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
Those with something to say were Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, former Maryland neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.
The other eight Republicans, who kept their peace on social media as the story developed in Paris, are former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and two sons of Wisconsin — Rep. Paul Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker.
On the Democratic side of the 2016 race for president, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton — the overwhelming front-runner — said nothing on Twitter or Facebook about the bloodshed in Paris. Nor did her nearest rivals, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Vice President Joe Biden.
News of multiple fatal shootings at Charlie Hebdo broke shortly before 7 a.m. EST Wednesday, initially without clear links to radical Islam.
Romney was in California but a post on the 2012 Republican nominee’s Facebook page soon was followed by the only tweet of the day from his Twitter account. It linked to that full text:
Together with France, we’ve combatted forces of barbarity; today’s villainy strengthens our resolve to vanquish them https://t.co/TRHdaRXkba
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) January 7, 2015
Cruz expressed similar sentiments on Facebook at 9:11 a.m.:
Jindal commented in four tweets just before 2 p.m. that would be followed by a Facebook post combining them:
The attack in Paris is another reminder of the horrific evil that terrorists are capable of. We must stop at nothing to eliminate them.
— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) January 7, 2015
That these terrorists targeted members of the press shows their contempt for the freedom of expression and the values of a free society. — Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) January 7, 2015
The war on terror is real and these threats need to be confronted and destroyed for freedom to prosper. — Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) January 7, 2015
The U.S. should work closely with the French government to track down and eliminate all those involved in today’s act of terror.
— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) January 7, 2015
Huckabee’s tweet on the Paris attack linked readers to a full statement on his website:
Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families of today’s carnage in Paris. http://t.co/rziP96W0Rf — Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) January 7, 2015
Similarly, this post on Carson’s Facebook page late in the morning would be used for three tweets in coming hours:
Santorum first weighed in on Twitter just before 6 p.m. EST, following shortly with a similar Facebook post:
This brutal deliberate attack is an example of the violent intolerance of Islamic extremists & threat to our way of life. Praying for Paris.
— Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) January 7, 2015
Later, at nearly 8:30 p.m., the former Pennsylvania senator commented again on Twitter while drawing attention to a recent poll on Americans’ concerns about terrorism.
http://t.co/VNDdjxnVXn. / We need a POTUS who will stand strong & address threats that the American public understands that we face. — Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) January 8, 2015
Huckabee, meanwhile, had this to say on Facebook the first day:
Two days later, Huckabee added:
The risks inherent in commenting too soon were evident when Cruz had to amend, on both Twitter and Facebook, what had seemed to be good news for all the hostages in the second terror incident in Paris:
Thankful hostages in France have been freed & terrorists have been brought to justice. Valiant & heroic performance by French police. #Merci
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 9, 2015
Sadly, early reports hostages had been freed were premature. Our prayers are with victims and their families and our thanks with the police.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 9, 2015
