As John Kerry wraps up his tenure as secretary of state, he seems determined to defend his and President Obama’s legacy regarding the conflict in Syria. At this week’s U.S. Institute of Peace’s conference, Judy Woodruff asked Kerry about the perception that U.S. leadership could not be relied on that sprang from President Obama’s decision to defer action after his “red line” regarding Syria’s use of chemical weapons.

Kerry insisted, “President Obama never retreated from his redline. He never changed his mind about his readiness to bomb Assad to make it clear you don’t use chemical weapons—never.”