Posted on 07/20/2015 5:13:39 PM PDT by familyop
A group representing retired military officers called Monday for Donald Trump to apologize to Sen. John McCain and all veterans for his disparaging remarks about the Arizona Republican's military service during the Vietnam War.
"We should acknowledge the facts: John McCain cares deeply about our men and women in uniform, and through his actions, he has made a real difference for our troops. Mr. Trump owes Senator McCain and all veterans an apology," said Retired Navy Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, president and CEO of Military Officers Association of America.
At a Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, the real estate mogul and 2016 presidential candidate said in regards to McCain, "He's not a war hero...He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured."
His remarks, in response to McCain saying Trump had fired up the anti-immigration "crazies" at a recent Phoenix rally, prompted a strong rebuke from Republicans and veterans group, who rallied to McCain's defense.
Trump addressed his remarks in a USA Today op-ed on Sunday, saying that the media had distorted his words and that McCain had "abandoned" veterans.
The group defended McCain's record on helping veterans.
“Senator McCain will not say it, but let me state the obvious: John McCain is a military hero, and most importantly, he has always been a champion for the all-volunteer-force and our nation’s veterans," Ryan said.
"We can disagree with some of Senator McCain’s positions at times, but we can never say he has abandoned the troops," he said.
He noted that under McCain, the Armed Services Committee had a full debate and vote on the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act — which funds the Pentagon and the military — for the first time in three years.
"John McCain has proven his sincerity and passion for the troops. Leadership is about setting an example and not words," he said, adding, "no one has visited our troops in Afghanistan or Iraq more than John McCain."
McCain last visited troops in Afghanistan over the July 4 weekend.
Other veterans groups have rallied to McCain's defense as well.
"Trump’s asinine comments about Sen. John McCain’s service are an insult to everyone who has ever worn the uniform — and to all Americans," wrote Paul Rieckhoff, CEO and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America wrote in a New York Daily News op-ed on Monday.
"He is very capable of defending himself, but a public attack on one veteran’s service is an attack on us all," he added.
And John W. Stroud, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, also bashed Trump.
“For someone who never served a day in uniform to criticize the service and sacrifice of a combat-wounded veteran is despicable," he said, according to the Washington Post.
A POW can’t refuse anything. If North Vietnam wanted to release John McCain he would have been released! Jezzz, stop the spin!
And the headline tomorrow would be "Trump Apologizes! Says McCain IS a Hero Now".
Look, he did nothing wrong. He doesn't have to backtrack. He doesn't have to apologize. That's the media template for destruction of those they have an agenda against. Nobody would have let it go. The story would be, well, he STILL feels that way except he just got caught.
I think Trump minimized McCain’s sacrifices as a POW, but from watching the video, it was an offhand comment said in response to McCain’s attacks on Trump supporters as “crazies”. As far as I know, Trump also clearly stated McCain is a hero for being a POW but claimed to prefer those who are heroes without being POWs. I’m pretty sure McCain himself would have preferred to be a military hero without having to go the POW route. I know I would.
Regardless of whether Senator McCain is a war hero or not, he’s done a lot of damage to conservative causes over the years. On immigration especially, he’s working against his own countrymen—American citizens—in favor of illegal aliens. I have no doubt he personally thinks open borders are good (for whatever reasons), but immigration is the straw the breaks America’s back. Why? Because all the other battles, social and economic, will be lost if Democrats and CoC-owned Republicans import enough socialist votes.
Yeah, but he was weak tonight on O”Reilly. When he started citing Cheryl Atkisson as his defense it was sort of ridiculous.
The guy has had 48 hours to prepare for that interview and it didn’t come off well. Was disappointing to me, and I’m a fan who believes the guy thinks well on his feet.
Having the veterans come out strongly against Trump is going to hurt his campaign badly. He needs to apologize soon or hopefully get out of the race and let a full spectrum conservative like Sen. Cruz pick up his supporters.
Onona is right, however how softly he says it. Only the leadership is crapping on Trump, not the members. Sometimes the leadership get out of synch with the membership, as in this case. I love the military but in the end it is an organization, and like all organizations, sometimes the leaders take themselves a little to seriously. When this happens in the military it really stands out because the military is quite good at dampening this natural human phenomena.
I'm getting to the point that I don't give a FF about what those in leadership say, they are the ones that got us into this mess so what can they contribute to the debate... not much.
Trump apparently has no understanding of Constitutional government. Tonight on O’Reilly, Bill begins to read off the positive pro-veteran legislation McCain supported, and Trump starts complaining that the Veterans is badly run and “McCain is in charge” of the Veterans Administration, then repeats the same brainless statement.
Does Trump not understand the difference between the legislative and executive branches? McCain voted to give the President added authority to fire the crooks at the VA. McCain has no authority to execute the law, that’s on Obama. McCain can’t force Obama to do his job. Why doesn’t Trump go after Obama? Because to Donald Trump, settling personal scores is more important than doing what’s right for the veterans and what’s right for the country?
-—and I am not a political loyalist to McCain, I never supported him in either of the primaries in 2000 nor 2008, the years he was a candidate.
I get what Trump is doing.....he's speaking to Joe Everyman. Joe Everyman has no idea about such things as federal agencies and the relationship of these to our government structure. They'll nod off in 10 seconds. But keep pounding on the theme that government is corrupt and those in power made it that way and well...THAT's a meme that's out there already. And about Obama...he doesn't NEED to go after him. He's not running against him. Every Republican that's rooting for trump already knows the score on Obama and those who voted for Obama trump doesn't want to alienate by bashing him...yet.
“Tonight on O’Reilly all Trump had to do was say that his remarks were out of context as to McCain being a war hero, say very affirmatively McCain and any others who served and/or were POW’s were hero’s. Would have taken 10 seconds.”
McCain started it by calling the Arizona crowd attending Trump’s speech crazies. That crowd included a good number of veterans. Real heroes.
Did McTurncoat think that he could start a dialogue with that sort of attack and not receive the same? Perhaps he did. We have become such apologists, that I am sure he assumed that Trump would bend, sway, and apologize.
It is interesting that those who came out in support of McCain were for the most part officers. I cannot say that their opinion sways me as much as the average American veteran’s, or for that matter, the average American conservative citizen.
As Trump’s polls continue to soar, it seems to me that many of those same Americans are hearing something that resonates deep within them. A pride in America. A calling out of impostors. A reckoning.
Good start Donald. Don’t let us down.
He’s saying what needs to be said. I hope that this man called Trump realizes what he has taken into his hands. It’s the very heart and hope of the Americans who love their country and would give all to see it restored to its former glory.
Perhaps it is not too late. God only knows. And in truth, it is in God’s hands.
Yep. Could have made big news, very positive win win. Instead the horse keeps galloping away.
He is the only one saying what needs to be said but instead keeps saying what doesn’t need to be said.
Maybe he is trying to win with warts and all....or maybe he is trying to show US that it is time for this Country to get a thicker skin, stop crying like babies over every PC infraction....but that thicker skin idea works both ways....maybe he also has problems with very thin skin when it comes to..... admitting mistakes.
Pretty obvious by my handle who I support. That said, I love Trump and would gladly vote for him. He’s an unappologetic smart guy with giant balls who is a true patriot and can’t be bought and won’t back down.
And I’m a vet. The so called vet leaders quoted can kiss my hairy ass. Ditto the screaming crying fainting queen chorus here. gth, every last one of you politically correct mcain but kissers. He’s a pussy douche. Always was, always will be.
Now that the blackmailed SC made it legal, maybe mcqueeg will go ahead and marry linda graham. They consumate it all the time. Might as well come out.
I fought and bled for this Country and I heard what Trump said and I say no apology needed and I have not declared who I would vote for, waiting for all this crap to shake out, with the boy in charge not sure there will be a election.
And a fraud. Everything we know of McCain proves he is a fraud. Not hard to figure he has been a fraud all his life, from 3rd last in his class to his time in the Navy. He has not only refused to make his debriefing public he won’t even answer why he won’t. A statute was enacted with McCain’s backing to classify all POW debriefings. There is nothing to trust about McCain imo.
The War Secrets Sen. John McCain Hides(dealing with a backstabber)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3047172/posts
He has nothing to apologize for and is better off w/o apologizing. It got blown out of proportion by those who want to see him go down in flames because of his stance on illegal invasion.
Perhaps people are sick to death of the same-ol-same-ol bullshit out of DC and are ready to have a man in office that's not part of the beltway cabal.
An exchange of insults--like pre-adolescent confrontations in a playground--is not an issue for anyone really serious about an American future, to get upset over. That the Journal would seek to focus attention on that exchange--and draw moral conclusions from that exchange, antagonistic to those who have the sense not to comment on that exchange--is to take journalistic absurdity into the clouds of really confused analysis.
Let me suggest that the Journal focus on something that concerns the U.S. Military, that is 1,000 times as important as Trump returning John McCain's insult, with one of his own. What is that?
In recent weeks and months there have been repeated threats from America haters, against our military personnel & their families. Yet the Administration still has Marines & others, serving as potential targets in "gun free zones." Does anyone reading this not believe that that is the sort of outrage that the Journal ought to be concerned with--not an exchange of insults?
Will anyone defend the mental priorities of the Journal staff, in this situation? They, not Senator Cruz, who has a sense of proportion, need to be the butt of condemnation & ridicule.
Occifers lining-up behind McCain. Wow, that certainly makes sense. Yeah, Johnny baby is a real supporter of VietNam veterans. Just ask him. Hell, even SoS John Kerry will tell you what a great man “3rd from goat” Sen. McCain is and has been. Good folks, these occifers.
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