Donald Trump, ISIS and Gun Control: 5 Things From Obama's Oval Office Address

President Barack Obama addressed the nation from the Oval Office for just the third time in his presidency Monday night.

He called for the speech after a string of mass shootings in the United States had the nation awash in conversation about terrorism and gun violence.

Here’s what you need to know about what he had to say:

Yes, he wants more gun control

That included barring people on the no-fly list from being able to purchase firearms and to “make it harder” for people to buy “powerful assault weapons.”

“I know there are some who reject any gun safety measures,” he said. “But the fact is that our intelligence and law enforcement agencies — no matter how effective they are — cannot identify every would-be mass shooter, whether that individual is motivated by ISIL or some other hateful ideology.

“What we can do — and must do — is make it harder for them to kill.”

Now’s the time for unity

“We cannot turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam,” he said. “That, too, is what groups like ISIL want. ISIL does not speak for Islam.”

That includes, Obama said, rejecting religious tests for people coming into America, something several GOP candidates for president have supported.

“It’s our responsibility to reject proposals that Muslim-Americans should somehow be treated differently,” Obama said. “Because when we travel down that road, we lose.”

Ground war against ISIS is off the table

Obama laid out his plans to defeat ISIS, which includes continuing to support Iraq and Syrian forces in the Middle East fighting ISIS. But, he said, the U.S. strategy should not involved sending more soldiers across the world to fight.

“We should not be drawn once more into a long and costly ground war in Iraq or Syria,” he said. “That’s what groups like ISIL want.”

His critics weren’t quiet

“President Obama has finally been forced to abandon the political fantasy he has perpetuated for years that the threat of terrorism was receding,” Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said in a Facebook post.

“We need to remove the self-imposed constraints President Obama has placed on our intelligence community and military, and we need to put in place an aggressive strategy to defeat ISIS and radical Islamic terrorism as I have proposed.”

GOP hopeful Marco Rubio spoke on Fox News after the address, saying, “I ran into someone else who said they’re avoiding stadiums and malls this holiday season because they’re scared. They’re scared not because of these attacks, but the growing sense we have a president that’s completely overwhelmed by them.”

That also, of course, included Donald Trump

“Is that all there is? We need a new President - FAST!” he tweeted when the address ended.

Trump had vowed to live-tweet Obama’s remarks. It ended up, though, being more of a retweet-fest of his rabid followers.

“ONLY @realDonaldTrump WILL Conquer ISIS & WILL #MakeAmericaGreatAgain! = #PotusYoureFired!! VOTE #Trump2016” one of his retweets read.

Image via the White House