Absolutely Defies Reality': GOP Congressman Stunned by John Kerry's Characterization of Istanbul Airport Attack

A Republican congressman told Fox News' "Fox and Friends" Wednesday that he is shocked by Secretary of State John Kerry’s claim that the terror attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport is a sign that the Islamic State is getting “desperate.”

Referring to the Islamic State as "Daesh," Kerry said during remarks at the Aspen Ideas Festival Tuesday evening that it’s been more than a year since they a launched a “full-scale military offensive.”

"Now, yes, you can bomb an airport, you can blow yourself up, that's the tragedy,” Kerry said. “Daesh and others like it know that we have to get it right 24/7/365. They have to get it right for 10 minutes or one hour. So it's a very different scale, and if you're desperate and if you know you’re losing and you know you want to give up your life, then obviously you can do some harm.”

Rep. Mike McCaul (Texas), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told the Fox hosts that the Islamic State is “not on the run but on the rise.”

The administration has said that “they’re on the run for many years, and they’re not,” McCaul noted, adding, “I think the airstrikes have ramped up external operations.”

McCaul said that reports indicate that the Istanbul attack was specifically timed to take place during Islam’s holy month of Ramadan.

“This is an unprecedented pace of terror in modern times,” McCaul said. “And so to say they’re on the run absolutely defies reality.”

McCaul said the Obama administration and Kerry “have delayed far too much” in the fight against the Islamic State.

“I know John Kerry boasts about all the success we’ve been having over there, but the fact is they’ve waited three and a half years to do anything,” McCaul said, adding, “We need to ramp this up.”