At one point, moderator S. E. Cupp asked whether President Obama was anti-Israel, McCotter answered, "Obama's motivations are not the issue, the impact of his policies, both proposed and pursued, have strained our relationship" with Israel.[34] When asked to comment on the U.S. role in the 2011 military intervention in Libya, McCotter referred to the Obama administration's mission as "ill-defined," and argued for "no US boots on ground." However, he added the caveat, "once committed [to the mission], we can't abruptly withdraw."[35]