Trump’s comments on POW’s disgusting but not surprising
If you’ve been watching the train wreck that is Donald Trump‘s supposed presidential campaign it should come as no surprise that he said something terribly offensive today. Looking at the reactions it looks as though people weren’t expecting him to do something so confounding to which I have to ask “have you not been paying attention?” Trump isn’t taking this race seriously and he’s not behaving and speaking like a man fit or desiring to run for president of the United States. In case you missed it, at an event Saturday afternoon, he mocked John McCain‘s status as a prisoner of war, saying “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” Now I get that his comments were particularly inflammatory because the military is involved and we are a nation that by-in-large respects our military regardless of political party or ideology but I’m watching the coverage of this latest disaster and the press and others are reacting as if this is the end of his campaign. Let’s be clear, Trumps campaign will end when Trump is ready for it to. As long as his poll numbers are high and as long as he’s getting media coverage he’s going to continue. He’s currently topping polls not because anyone is actually going to vote for him for president but because of the many candidates he’s the one with the highest name ID and because of people are just fed up with the state of American politics today. I believe even the most low information voters wouldn’t vote to put a man as unpredictable as Trump in charge of our national security and economy. Trump will inevitably try to fix his mess and will continue to make a mockery of what should be a serious race where serious issues are discussed. The crisis we find ourselves in as a nation both economically and with the current threats to national security both here at home and abroad will ultimately be what voters are looking to answer with the next president and Trump, well he’s not disciplined enough to address those issues with the seriousness they deserve. Full video of Trump remarks below. McCain comments start at 5:40
GOP candidate Donald Trump goes after John McCain’s war record
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump criticized Arizona Sen. John McCain‘s military record Saturday, saying he was a “war hero because he was captured.” Speaking at a conference of religious conservatives in Iowa, Trump was pressed on his recent description of the 2008 Republican presidential nominee as “a dummy.” McCain served as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War. He was captured after his plane was shot down and was held more than five years as a prisoner of war. The moderator, Republican pollster Frank Luntz, described McCain as “a war hero.” Trump said McCain “is a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” The comment drew some boos from the audience. During a news conference after his appearance, Trump did not apologize but sought to clarify his remarks. “If a person is captured, they’re a hero as far as I’m concerned. … But you have to do other things also,” Trump said. “I don’t like the job John McCain is doing in the Senate because he is not taking care of our veterans.” A spokesman for McCain, Brian Rogers, said no comment when asked about Trumps remarks. Trump said he avoided service in the Vietnam War through student and medical deferments, adding that he did not serve because he “was not a big fan of the Vietnam war. I wasn’t a protester, but the Vietnam war was a disaster for our country.” The comments about McCain drew rapid criticism from other 2016 hopefuls. In a statement, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the remarks make Trump “unfit to be commander-in-chief.” Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush tweeted: “Enough with the slanderous attacks. @SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans – particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration.” Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker were also quick to condemn the remarks. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called McCain an American war hero, but sidestepped when asked whether he would condemn the remarks. “I recognize that folks in the press love to see Republican on Republican violence,” Cruz said. “You want me to say something bad about Donald Trump or bad about John McCain or bad about anyone else and I’m not going to do it.” Trump was among 10 GOP presidential candidates on Saturday’s program for the Family Leader Summit. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
