Revenge is a dish best served cold. During the campaign, Donald Trump said “I like people who weren’t captured” when questioned about McCain’s service during Vietnam. The full quote:
“He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” — Donald Trump, July 2015
McCain was a navy pilot, captured when his plane was shot down in Vietnam. His father was a high-ranking admiral, and McCain was offered release. He refused the offer since other US servicemen who had been imprisoned for longer would have remained behind.
Trump avoided serving for the entire duration of the war. He got five draft deferments, including one for “bone spurs” which he now says were “temporary”. This painful condition does not prevent him from golfing every other day.
Anyway, John McCain was interviewed about Vietnam, and he had this to say.
For those who can’t watch the video, McCain says:
One aspect of the conflict that by the way I will never, ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say that they had a bone spur. That is wrong, that is wrong, if we’re going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve.
Here’s the full response to the question.
PS. Now, I’m not always the biggest fan of John McCain. He often has the right words. Yet equally often, he will demur when it comes to acting on them.
But, on this one, I’m behind him. Also, I felt I had to explain his PoW experience because there are literally people out there who believe the Hanoi Hilton was a hotel: