GOP Contenders Slam Trump’s Comments About John McCain

Republican presidential candidate, real estate mogul Donald Trump, speaks at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, Saturday, July 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
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The 2016 GOP presidential contenders were quick to condemn Donald Trump’s remarks Saturday suggesting John McCain, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, was only a “war hero” because he was captured. “I like people who weren’t captured,” Trump said, to some boos from the Iowa audience.

The comments from Trump came at the Family Leader Summit In Ames, where as many as 10 of the GOP hopefuls were present. Trump comment’s came during a back and forth with moderator Frank Luntz, who pressed Trump about previously calling McCain a “dummy.”

Ted Cruz was more circumspect than some of the others when asked to respond to Trump’s comments. “I recognize that folks in the press love to see Republican on Republican violence,” Cruz said, according to the Associated Press. “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.”

Cruz later tweeted:

Here is a sampling of the Twitter reaction from the other candidates:

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. I see they got out the pitchforks and torches…

  2. This is sure to get the base into a crazy frenzy – Not like they weren’t already –

    Popcorn WITH Rasinetts ! !

  3. as they fall all over themselves to defend John McCain do they understand the irony of denigrating John Kerry’s war record during his Presidential run?

  4. I think it might cross their minds, but I doubt they’d admit to it or that they care. Now, if any of the higher-ups in the GOP ranks admit to this, I’ll be the first to give them kudos.

  5. As a candidate for President, Trump’s remarks make no sense. As a troll, they make perfect sense. I’m getting more and more convinced he’s the latter and not the former.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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