Remaining vigilant toward this ever-present threat means constantly learning how better to protect ourselves. But primarily it reminds us that we must fight and win the war on terror, so that we do not have to fight it here in America.

The speaker frames terrorism as a persistent, “ever-present” danger that requires two parallel responses: continual adaptation (“constantly learning how better to protect ourselves”) and an assertive, outward-facing strategy (“fight and win the war on terror”). The final clause—avoiding having to “fight it here in America”—invokes a preventive logic common in post‑9/11 political rhetoric: confronting threats abroad to reduce risk at home. The quote thus blends a call for vigilance and preparedness with a justification for sustained counterterror operations, emphasizing security as an ongoing process rather than a one-time achievement.