GOP Rep. Says Obama Has 'Helped Jump Start a New Ottoman Empire

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) on Friday accused President Barack Obama of ushering in a second Ottoman Empire in the Middle East through his foreign policy.

Speaking on the House floor, Gohmert accused the Obama administration of allowing Iran to influence Iraq by pulling U.S. troops out, and suggested the attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions in the Middle East and North Africa are the result of waning American influence from that decision, The Hill reported.

"Thank you President Barack Hussein Obama. This will be quite a legacy for you," Gohmert said. "I'm not one of those who says he's not a Christian. All I know is that's between him and God. But what I do know is he has helped jump start a new Ottoman Empire and left our friend and ally Israel so vulnerable in this sea of radicalism that he has helped bring to the surface."

Gohmert said a recent report showed that approval for the U.S. among those in Muslim countries had slipped from 33 percent under President George W. Bush in 2008 to now just 15 percent under Obama, according to The Hill. A Pew Research Center survey released in June noted that the median approval in Muslim nations for Obama's policies has declined over the last three years from 34 percent to 15 percent.

"This president is trying to buy affection from people who are bullies, who are radical Islamists, who want to destroy us. You're not going to get love and affection, you get contempt," Gohmert said.

Gohmert made a similar reference to a "new Ottoman Empire" in another floor speech earlier this month.