Critics slam Dick Cheney for saying Obama aided enemies

Former Vice President Dick Cheney marked the 15th anniversary of 9/11 by accusing President Barack Obama of aiding America's enemies and reducing the strength of U.S. military power. Cheney's critics responded by suggesting he has no right to comment on Obama's war record given his actions as George Bush's VP.

Cheney voiced his criticisms in an op-ed that was published in The Wall Street Journal on Friday and co-authored by his daughter and candidate for U.S. Congress, Liz Cheney. "Defeating our enemies has been made significantly more difficult by the policies of Barack Obama," they wrote. "No American president has done more to weaken the U.S., hobble our defenses, and aid our adversaries."

The Cheneys' wide-ranging criticism of Obama focused on several of the president's most controversial decisions as commander-in-chief, such as banning the systemic torture of detainees, pulling ground troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, scaling back the number of active-duty soldiers, and approving the release of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay.

MORE: ISIS And Al-Qaeda Celebrate 9/11, Threaten More Attacks

"Our next president must recognize that Islamic terrorists pose an existential threat to the U.S., and must instruct the military to provide plans necessary to defeat them," the Cheneys wrote. They stopped short of endorsing a presidential candidate, although Cheney previously said he supported Donald Trump. The Cheneys mentioned Hillary Clinton four times in the op-ed, repeatedly criticizing her for her role in the Iranian nuclear deal.

On Sunday, "Ex-VP Cheney" trended on Twitter as hundreds of users quoted or referenced the op-ed. Vocativ discovered around 2,000 tweets between Friday and Sunday with the words "EX-VP Cheney," mostly posted by users firing their own scathing criticisms at Cheney.

Some users pointed out that Cheney was vice president during 9/11, the most catastrophic terrorist attack on U.S. soil in American history. Others noted Cheney was a fierce proponent of the Iraq war, which helped fuel the rise of ISIS, and noted that Bush's administration failed to capture Osama bin Laden. Some users also criticized the Cheneys for choosing the 15th anniversary of 9/11 to air their grievances against Obama's policies.

Selfies, sorrow compete at 9/11Memorial:

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