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Donald Trump Says McCain No War Hero: ‘I Like People Who Weren’t Captured’
The Daily Caller ^ | 7-18-2015 | Jamie Weinstein

Posted on 07/18/2015 10:16:30 AM PDT by servo1969

Donald Trump escalated his feud with Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain Saturday in a way that probably wasn’t the most politically astute.

Appearing at the 2015 Family Leadership Summit in Iowa, Trump decided to make the case that McCain is not a war hero. Asked by moderator Frank Luntz why he would call a war hero like McCain a “loser,” Trump replied, “He’s not a war hero.”

“He’s a war hero because he was captured,” Trump said sarcastically. “I like people who weren’t captured, I hate to tell you.”

McCain spent five and a half years in a North Vietnamese prison where he was routinely tortured after his plane was shot down during the Vietnam War.

After hearing boos from the crowd, Trump backed off a bit: “Perhaps he’s a war hero but right now he said some very bad things about a lot of people.”

Trump was referring to McCain calling the people who attended Trump’s recent immigration rally in Arizona “crazies.”

“This performance with our friend out in Phoenix is very hurtful to me,” McCain recently told the New Yorker magazine, speaking of Trump’s July 11 rally. “Because what he did was he fired up the crazies.”

The Washington Post reported Friday that Trump is trying to recruit a primary challenger in Arizona to try to defeat McCain in his 2016 re-election bid.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Arizona; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 2016election; arizona; backinthecage; election2016; johnmccain; mccain; newyork; pow; primarymccain; senatorjohnmccain; senatormccain; trump
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To: servo1969

Those POW’s who were true heroes attained that status through their actions after capture, like Jeremiah Denton, James Stockdale, Robbie Risner, Bud Day, to name just a very few. None should be denigrated for having been captured, it is true. That said, McCain’s post-capture actions, in my humble opinion, make him suspect, particularly given his penchant for being a liberal democrat in GOP clothing. My theory, based on little else but supposition, is that he is owned by the NVA/DNC machine.

All that said, Trump’s words were ill-advised, we agree on that.


101 posted on 07/18/2015 11:04:17 AM PDT by DPMD
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To: servo1969

Whoa....bad move. You are right. But being a POW doesn’t gain automatic sainthood either, although compassion is essential for such people. The ones who earn sainthood are the ones like Louis Zamperini——and they NEVER seek power or fame because of their ordeal.

As Sir Acton stated, Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. McClain sold his soul for power and fame a long time ago. From what I read about his young life, he never developed any integrity (virtues)—and was bottom of his class (stupid/lazy) and used his father’s influence to get everything.

Virtue is developed and habituated in childhood. McCain is devoid of Virtue, but it has nothing to do with being a POW although it can affect your belief in God. I doubt that McCain ever believed in God in the first place, because he was devoid in ethics as a young man. I could be wrong-—but from his “fruits” you should judge. Virtue is obvious by actions. Look at that evil, warped and ignorant daughter he produced!
Just diabolical like his statements half of the time.


102 posted on 07/18/2015 11:04:34 AM PDT by savagesusie (Right Reason According to Nature = Just Law)
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To: stanne

I will repeat some of your words...”Do NOT lecture me.” I have a right to my opinion as you have a right to yours.
I wasn’t aware I was ON your case! Since when does a differing opinion set off a tirade against the dissenter? Since the liberals have taken over the universe and turned good into bad, pretty into ugly, moral into immoral, and God into Satan. I would say, you should Get Over Yourself. AMAZINGLY, we agree on most things, just not on this. Patton was FORCED to apologize for the infamous “slap.” AND he was NEVER forgiven.....not for all his sacrifice,,,,,not for all his genius.....not for being RIGHT when Eisenhower and his pet Montgomery were WRONG. Rommel got away with his disagreements with Hitler, but Patton didn’t get away with his disagreements with Eisenhower and Eisenhower’s chief assistant at destroying Patton, “The Soldier’s Soldier.” HA!


103 posted on 07/18/2015 11:05:22 AM PDT by Mollypitcher1 (I have not yet begun to fight....John Paul Jones)
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To: servo1969

There are many things over which to take John McCain to task. His service and his capture aren’t among them.

Trump is over the line with this one.


104 posted on 07/18/2015 11:05:27 AM PDT by PubliusMM (RKBA; a matter of fact, not opinion. 01-20-2017; I pray we make it that long.)
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To: servo1969

Donald,

I still like you but this isn’t going to help you.


105 posted on 07/18/2015 11:06:03 AM PDT by boycott
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To: Kickass Conservative

McCain knows how to gild the lily. His recounting of his exploits is not supported by anyone within shouting distance. When every claim to personal honor is disputed by those with personal experience of him who are we to believe?


106 posted on 07/18/2015 11:06:40 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (This is a wake up call. Join the Sultan Knish ping list.)
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To: Popman

Apologies don’t count for anything. Look at Patton’s proof.


107 posted on 07/18/2015 11:07:29 AM PDT by Mollypitcher1 (I have not yet begun to fight....John Paul Jones)
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To: Dante3

Looks like Trump has plenty of fodder to expose McCane for his discretion. CAn we expect a double down? That video with any material that his cell mates published should be devastating with a large audience

Any bet on who wins this one ?


108 posted on 07/18/2015 11:07:35 AM PDT by hoosiermama (Obam5a: "Born in Kenya" Lying now or then or now?;)
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To: Dante3

Looks like Trump has plenty of fodder to expose McCane for his discretion. CAn we expect a double down? That video with any material that his cell mates published should be devastating with a large audience

Any bet on who wins this one ?


109 posted on 07/18/2015 11:07:36 AM PDT by hoosiermama (Obam5a: "Born in Kenya" Lying now or then or now?;)
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To: DoodleDawg

Fine

But that was not my point at all

I’d like to make my point very clear

There are men who were shot down over North Vietnam They were. Shot down in 1966-1968 and beyond. They lived there for six and seven years generally

They were held for questioning and leverage. They will tell about their experience when asked. Many had families who didn’t know if they were alive or not for many years. They withstood not only torture to the extreme but the discouragement/despair of traitors as well as rejection on their return home in 1973

They are heroes for standing up to the torture and for withstanding temptations and for forgiving their rejection and serving their country afterward

They are family men and fine gentlemen

Strong in character And unknown, as they are humble and they know they are not war heroes. They are heroes more important in some sense that war heroes even

McCain is not a war hero. Patton is a war hero. The screaming Eagles easy company are war heroes

Trump can say McCain is not a war hero but he did so without mentioning his status as a revered POW reference to those he served with. And that is a huge mistake which is the action of an insensitive boor. He’ll be very smart to get up to speed on the heroism of those guys and then separate McCain out of them if possible

McCain has gone too long with his phony schtick


110 posted on 07/18/2015 11:09:24 AM PDT by stanne
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To: servo1969
I must have forgotten what McCain did to deserve being called a hero. He was a POW. But then he did embraced his former captors later and showed his contempt for other POWs. To more than a few people he brings to mind, maybe unfairly, "the Manchurian Candidate."

Furthermore, he dumped the wife who stood by him all this time for a younger and richer woman. In my books this does not a hero make.

In Senate he has done more harm than good. How can one refer to some as a hero who wants to destroy this country with his love for illegal aliens?

I would never call him a hero.

111 posted on 07/18/2015 11:09:27 AM PDT by apocalypto
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To: cicero2k

Only question for Donald, walk this back or die?


Oh so republicans think McLaim is a hero?....

They(the ones think that) need to be brought out of their DELUSION...

A SLAP to the kisser might work...
Other than that FACTS might...

John McLaim is a traitor.. hard, complicit and embedded..
A veritable democrat in all ways but his registration..

ALL democrats are traitors.. not kinda but really..
Even(especially) those in the armed services..
Democrat Staff officers are indeed enemy agents..

and not a few republicans as well..


112 posted on 07/18/2015 11:09:54 AM PDT by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited (specifically) to include some fully orbed hyperbole..)
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To: servo1969

McCain was no hero. He was a wreckless hothead who got shot down and imprisoned. There’s no heroism in that. There’s duty, honorable duty and suffering, but no heroism in what he did and what he experienced.


113 posted on 07/18/2015 11:10:35 AM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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To: servo1969

He did come back and say, ...

“Perhaps he’s a war hero but right now he said some very bad things about a lot of people.”

I’ll give him credit for that. The rest of the interview was excellent.


114 posted on 07/18/2015 11:11:39 AM PDT by boycott
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To: wardaddy

> “You can’t criticize them unless you were there beside them”

Admiral Stockdale was there with all of them and he said McCain was no hero.


115 posted on 07/18/2015 11:12:55 AM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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To: servo1969

If Trump is smart, he’ll apologize for this one. I expect it will be fulsomely accepted, and he’ll be seen as someone who learns from his mistakes, further boosting his stock among GOP voters, who will cut him some slack because he’s not a professional pol.


116 posted on 07/18/2015 11:13:04 AM PDT by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.)
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To: servo1969

I see Trump is speaking from his vast military experience having attended military school beginning at age 13 in order to be taught discipline. From his recent statements, the schoolin was unsuccessful.


117 posted on 07/18/2015 11:13:31 AM PDT by JimSEA
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To: Louis Foxwell

Doesn’t matter. It’s Optics and Trumps other comment about POW’s goes beyond McCain. Trump F’d up Big time, period.

It was classic think before you speak, and he didn’t.


118 posted on 07/18/2015 11:14:11 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (I know I left my Tagline around here somewhere...)
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To: wardaddy

Shouldn’t have gone there,flying A4 Skyhawks off of Aircraft carriers into Russian built Sam Sites surrounding their targets,because POLITICIANS,would not let them be taken out as they were being built because We could not harm Russians,is not something for the faint of heart. Criticize him for being a terrible politician,but there are too many good men he is disparaging with that statement.
Bad move Donald and I have loved what you have done to this point.


119 posted on 07/18/2015 11:14:17 AM PDT by ballplayer (hvexx NKK c bmytit II iyijjhihhiyyiyiyi it iyiiy II i hi jiihi ty yhiiyihiijhijjyjiyjiiijyuiiijihyii)
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To: Will88

What I do not understand is how people on this thread are acting as if Trump insulted ALL POW’S when it is perfectly clear that he was addressing MC CAIN. To me it is an issue between Trump and McCain....after all McCain started it.


120 posted on 07/18/2015 11:15:26 AM PDT by Mollypitcher1 (I have not yet begun to fight....John Paul Jones)
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