COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo -

Paul Ryan says President Obama is projecting weakness to the country's foreign enemies.

The Republican Vice Presidential nominee told a crowd in Fort Collins Wednesday that the turmoil in the Middle East reminds him of Tehran in 1979. He said that a president who doesn't strongly defend the country's values invites challenges overseas.

Ryan also claimed Obama is not dealing with the country's growing debt burden.

The Obama campaign responded by criticizing Ryan for proposing budget cuts that would harm veterans and students.

Ryan reminisced about how he's been taking family trips to Colorado since he was a kid to hike and ski. He's here now because it's one of the pivotal battleground states. He also appeared at a rally in Colorado Springs Wednesday night.