Trump slams McCain for being ‘captured’ in Vietnam; other Republicans quickly condemn him

By Philip Rucker July 18 at 3:30 PM

AMES, Iowa -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump slammed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a decorated Vietnam War veteran, on Saturday by saying McCain was not a war hero because he was captured by the North Vietnamese.

"He's not a war hero," Trump said. Sarcastically, Trump quipped, "He's a war hero because he was captured." Then, he added, "I like people that weren't captured."

Trump's comments came during his appearance at the Family Leadership Summit, a day-long gathering of about 3,000 social conservative activists that is drawing nine other Republican presidential candidates.

[The Fix: Donald Trump disparaged John McCain’s military service. Is this the end of his run?]

A celebrity businessman and reality television star, Trump has surged to the top of polls in the GOP race, in part because of his inflammatory comments about undocumented immigrants from Mexico.

Republican leaders and other candidates have been careful in how they respond to his immigration remarks, but his condemnation of McCain opened the floodgates, drawing swift and sharp criticism from other Republicans.

Former Texas governor Rick Perry, himself a subject of recent attacks from Trump, said Trump was "unfit" to serve as president and should "immediately withdraw" from the race.

"Donald Trump should apologize immediately for attacking Senator McCain and all veterans who have protected and served our country," Perry said in a statement. "As a veteran and an American, I respect Sen. McCain because he volunteered to serve his country. I cannot say the same of Mr. Trump. His comments have reached a new low in American politics. His attack on veterans make him unfit to be Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, and he should immediately withdraw from the race for President."

[The Fix: Rick Perry just savaged Donald Trump. That’s smart.]

Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, also chimed in with a Twitter post calling or an end to such "slanderous attacks":

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...ed-in-vietnam/