Donald Trump Says McCain No War Hero: ‘I Like People Who Weren’t Captured’

The Daily Caller ^ | 7-18-2015 | Jamie Weinstein

[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.

[Hostage]

Yes he does make a great point. Let’s post it here for all to see:

“I am not a fan of John McCain because he has done so little for our Veterans and he should know better than anybody what the Veterans need, especially in regards to the VA. He is yet another all talk, no action politician who spends too much time on television and not enough time doing his job and helping the Vets. He is also allowing our military to decrease substantially in size and strength, something which should never be allowed to happen.”

“Furthermore, he was extremely disrespectful to the thousands upon thousands of people, many of whom happen to be his constituents, that came to listen to me speak about illegal immigration in Phoenix last week by calling them “crazies”. “

“These were not “crazies”-—these were great American citizens.”

“I have great respect for all those who serve in our military including those that weren’t captured and are also heroes. I want to strengthen our military and take care of our Veterans. I want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN especially for those that serve to protect our freedom. I am fighting for our Veterans!”

[Graybeard58]

That is reserved for people who are awarded Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, Distiguished Service Cross and the like.

******************************************************************

My step-father was awarded the Bronze Star in Korea, after his death a year or so ago, I read the citation that came with it. It sent chills down my spine and made me wonder why he didn’t receive the C.M.O.H. for his actions, at the very least, the Silver Star, they hand those out to people like John Kerry instead.

Kerry shot a 14 year old in the back. I have no qualms about shooting an enemy combatant in the back or anywhere else for that matter, no matter how old or young he is. But to receive our nation’s second highest honor for it? Gimme a break.

My step father always vehemently denied being a hero, he said he saw lots of men exhibiting heroism on the battle field every day and they didn’t get medals for it and that the real heroes came home dead.

God bless our real heroes, John Kerry ain’t one of them.

[apocalypto]

I am just wondering how much J. McCain was tortured considering how warmly he greeted his former captors. And how negatively he treated the POW issue. It appeared he did NOT want them found. Why?

[Hostage]

Bump.

[HiTech RedNeck]

And still... there are classier ways to deal with PTSD than to embrace your enemies and use them as weapons to hurl at your friends....

[Mr Rogers]

I loathe John McCain. The last time he ran, I voted straight Republican...except for senator. I voted for McCain’s opponent, although that was partially because I knew the democrat wouldn’t win.

But I also loath those who denigrate Vietnam vets, prisoner or not, while they received deferments to go to college.

[Mollypitcher1]

Sounds like you think Clinton’s reasons for not serving were legit, but not Trump’s. Care to clarify?

[stanne]

POWs worth hearing from won’t get played. They’re not like regular people And they do not have a price

[Graybeard58]

And others are total ass holes, like you.

I won’t even read any more posts from you, so go ahead, have the last word, a-holes like you are incapable of doing otherwise.

[Yaelle]

His whole life he was a napoleonic little assh*le. The wife who waited for him through his capture was dumped the second he saw Cindy McCain. Him being a POW showed the best side of him (according to his own book though) but it didn’t make him a decent man afterward. Whereas I believe Dole’s injuries helped make him a better person, as often happens. Disability can be a blessing as well as an obstacle. mcCain’s? Didn’t help him.

[Hostage]

> “My step father always vehemently denied being a hero, he said he saw lots of men exhibiting heroism on the battle field every day and they didn’t get medals for it and that the real heroes came home dead.”

Truer words were never spoken.

Your father was from a generation whose spirit we need to resurrect in ourselves today.

[Kaslin]

I found this in Wikipedia

General John K. Waters

John Knight Waters (December 20, 1906 – January 9, 1989) was a United States Army four-star general who served as commander, U.S. Army, Pacific from 1964 to 1966. He was also the son-in-law of General George S. Patton. During World War II, he was taken prisoner while fighting in Tunisia in 1943, leading Patton to set up the controversial Task Force Baum to break him out.

World War II

---

Waters was captured in Tunisia at Dejebel Lassouda when German forces attacked Sidi bou Zid during World War II.

Waters, who had married General George S. Patton's daughter Beatrice in 1934, was one of many officers interned at Hammelburg. Patton claimed that he did not know that Waters was at OFLAG XIII-B and that he feared the Germans would execute the POWs rather than let them be liberated. According to some sources the Third Army had received intelligence that Waters was indeed at the camp, having recently been moved there from Silesia.

Waters had been shot by a defending guard as he and a German officer were trying to contact the task force. Badly wounded, he was treated by a Serbian doctor Colonel Radovan Danic, the chief surgeon of the former Yugoslavian Army, who was also interned at the camp. The camp was liberated about a week to ten days later, but the only prisoners there were badly wounded and sick, the rest (including the remnants of Task Force Baum) having been moved farther east.

Source

[Hostage]

Trump made good on his sentiment here (from Facebook):

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3313550/posts?page=201#201

and now here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3313583/posts

[Popman]

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

True, maybe in the 40's that would work with the very limited media available compared to today...

Trump has two problems: one is isn't Patton (Trump can't even tie Patton shoe laces) and it the 2nd decade of the 21 st century...

From media standpoint, there is no comparison...

Trump can try and pull a Patton, but the media will bury him...

Better he does a Mea culpa and move on...

[Safetgiver]

To he a hero don’t you have to do something heroic?....Yes. Smashing up a few planes and getting one shot out from under you due to poor flying skills is a heroic posture to take.

[hoosiermama]

So Trump is setting the agenda
1. The border @d illegal /drug cartel activity
2. Treatment of our veteran

(And just maybe he has gotten in a few punches for Sarah —who may have some interesting background for him )

[Mollypitcher1]

McCain has declared “ALL OUT WAR” against Arizona’s Tea Party. It seems there are too many on this thread who would rather support McCain’s calling good Arizona people “CRAZIES,” than realize that Donald Trump was NOT speaking about POW’S but was handing back to MCCain a bit of what McCain was dishing out. Of COURSE, the liberal media will play McCains side for all they are worth. After all, a bigger RINO does not exist in Washington.

[Above My Pay Grade]

Where did I say that? Both legally dodged the draft and both are scum for 100 reasons other than that.

The point is for a freaking draft dodger to insinuate that POWs somehow failed by getting captured is about as offensive and hypocritical as you can get.

The Viet Cong wasn’t taking a lot of prisoners in the Bronx and Philadelphia where Trump “served” his country by going to college.

For him to say “I like people who don’t get captured.” is an insult to every POW in the history of our nation.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Yes the mission of war is to kill the enemy. If you are a POW you aint’ killing anybody. So being captured does not make you a war hero. I do respect McCain for enduring the torture and not going home early. But since he got out of the military he’s been a disgrace.

[Starstruck]

McCain has said that all Cruz supporters and Trump supporters are crazies. Are you in one of those categories?

McCain is not running for president, so I don't really care what he has to say. I always look for the class that Reagan had when looking for a candidate. That is my Gold Standard.