After the attacks, the State Department tweeted that it stood by its earlier statement and condemned the “unjustified breach of the Embassy.” The White House later disavowedthe statement by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, saying it had not been cleared in advanced.

But the Romney campaign wasted no time in using the deaths to attack Obama.

“It’s disgraceful that the Obama administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks,” the candidate said.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus echoed Romney’s remarks in a tweet: “Obama sympathizes with attackers in Egypt. Sad and pathetic.”

“Apparently President Obama can’t see Egypt and Libya from his house,” former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin wrote on Facebook. “It’s about time our president stood up for America and condemned these Islamic extremists. … We already know that President Obama likes to ‘speak softly’ to our enemies. If he doesn’t have a ‘big stick’ to carry, maybe it’s time for him to grow one.”