“There were meetings,” he said. “I know there were weekly meetings dealing with terrorist threats and planning around it, but I did not attend those meetings.”

At the time of the attempted attack, Axelrod was serving as the top political adviser inside the administration. Some conservatives had said the report appeared to be evidence that the White House was actively merging national security issues and partisan politics.

Schieffer noted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., had voiced similar concerns.

“Let me allay his concerns, Bob, because that’s not true,” Axelrod said.