Donald Trump Questions John McCain’s War Hero Status: ‘I Like People Who Weren’t Captured’

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Donald Trump‘s campaign continues with more controversial remarks. He spoke on Saturday at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa. Trump used the opportunity to launch an attack on John McCain, who Trump sees as an unworthy war hero. Trump — vowing that he can do better — also believes McCain hasn’t done enough for the vets.

Trump says McCain only rose to war hero status because he was captured and held prisoner in North Vietnam. McCain, who was tortured and held in appalling conditions, spent two of his five-and-a-half imprisoned years in solitary confinement. Trump still sees McCain as a failure:

“He’s not a war hero,” said Trump. “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

The remarks, which came after days of back-and-forth between McCain and Trump, were met with scattered boos.

At a press availability following his remarks, Trump denied saying that McCain isn’t a war hero and said, “If somebody’s a prisoner, I consider them a war hero.”

He also continued his attacks on the Arizona senator, saying, “I think John McCain’s done very little for the veterans. I’m very disappointed in John McCain.”

Trump’s fellow Presidential candidates rallied around McCain after Trump’s remarks. Speaking at a campaign event in Sioux City, Iowa, Wisconson Governor Scott Walker described McCain as “an American hero.” Walker added of Trump, “I unequivocally denounce him.” Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who spoke at the Family Leadership Summit, disagreed with Trump on Twitter:

Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer chimed in as well:


Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal and former Texas governor Rick Perry spoke up:


Trump isn’t listening, and he didn’t hear the scattered “boos” during his speech. In fact, he tweeted about the standing ovation he received:

Then Trump “clarified” his McCain remarks. He vowed to “make things right” for our veterans. Trump also used his Twitter soapbox to bring up his immigration stance in the same discussion:

(via Politico)