Thread: Veterans call on McCain to dump Trump

Veterans call on McCain to dump Trump

Bill Theobald, USA TODAY 6:39 p.m. EDT August 4, 2016

WASHINGTON — A liberal group and a newly formed veterans’ organization attempted Thursday to put Republican Sen. John McCain in a political vise between GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump and the senator’s devotion to military service.

Common Defense PAC, which registered in June with the Federal Election Commission, and MoveOn.org delivered petitions containing 100,000 names to McCain’s Capitol Hill offices, calling on him to withdraw his endorsement of Trump’s candidacy.

Before that, six veterans, including a Muslim veteran from McCain’s home state of Arizona, praised the former Vietnam prisoner of war as “courageous” and a “man of honor” in pleading with him to reject Trump.

McCain, perhaps the most prominent veteran on Capitol Hill, was derided by Trump last summer when the real estate mogul said he didn’t think McCain was a hero because he was captured by the North Vietnamese.

This past week, Trump became embroiled in another controversy when he criticized the parents of Humayun Khan, a Muslim U.S. soldier killed in Iraq. Khan's father delivered a speech critical of Trump at the Democratic National Convention.

Trump also declined to endorse McCain's re-election bid.

McCain, who faces an Aug. 30 primary, quickly criticized Trump's comments about the Khan family.

But Wednesday in Arizona, he refused to answer questions about Trump during a sometimes tense news conference. And he did not respond to requests for comment about the petitions on Thursday. Nor was any comment immediately available from the Trump campaign.

“Donald Trump and his surrogates have demonstrated that their bigotry and hate speech know no bounds,” said Nate Terani, a Muslim Navy veteran from Arizona. “And they hold no American value or ideal as sacred.”

“The commander in chief of the United States military is the leader of one of the most diverse military’s on Earth,” Terani said at a news conference in a grove of trees just north of the Capitol. “Donald Trump is a bigot and a racist and he is unfit for that position.”

Alexander McCoy, a Marine sergeant from New York who served from 2008 to 2013, said Trump had threatened to use the military for evil, abandoned our most loyal allies, and suggested he would use nuclear weapons unprovoked.

“I am done listening. I have heard enough,” McCoy said. “Sen. McCain this is my message to you: You served, you sacrificed in ways Donald Trump cannot begin to understand. You have heard enough, too.”

Jim Lyons, a Navy veteran from Rhode Island who is openly gay, said he feared the military under Trump would return to a system of “don’t ask, don’t tell” when dealing with gay service men and women.

And Mickiela Montoya, an eight-year Army veteran, described herself as a woman, a veteran, a Latina and a mother.

“Donald Trump has attacked every single one of my identities,” Montoya said. “Donald Trump is trying to change the definition of what it means to be an American.”

She described McCain as “a war hero, a fellow veteran, a father and the epitome of what it means to be a patriot.”

“Please do what you know in your heart is right,” Montoya said.​

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...-bid/88204060/

What a way to hurt yourself. John McCain has been criticized for lack of action on some veteran concerns, however Trump has vowed to do all he can for them.

It seems some of our veterans are having trouble processing the truth.

Trump is not a racist or a bigot. He will not restore "don't ask don't tell", he supports gay rights. He has never attacked Latinos, Veterans, women or mothers. Sure if you attack him, you can count on a reply, a response or a counter-punch, whether you're a man, a woman, gay or straight. Trump has never said he would use nuclear weapons if unprovoked, what is wrong with you people? He doesn't want to go into foreign wars, and certainly not to do "evil", and standing by our Allies means them standing by US and honoring their agreements.

You've attacked Trump on falsehoods, you've tried to exploit your military service for political purposes, you've attacked Trump Supporters as bigots and racists who use hate speech when nothing could be further from the truth.

This is a very disappointing display by our military veterans. You are veterans meaning you are no longer serving. The military, the people serving now, support Trump 2 to 1. When you insult Trump and his Supporters, you're insulting the very people who are defending your lives now.

Maybe you all need to stop and think about that.

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeach

What a way to hurt yourself. John McCain has been criticized for lack of action on some veteran concerns, however Trump has vowed to do all he can for them.

And people need to go back see what McCain said and did about the POW's and MIA's from Vietnam. Horrible as I recall. And I think that's what Trump is referring to when he talks about McCain and how he treated the Veterans, a separate issue than the Veterans Affairs problems with their medical care today.

A liberal group and a newly formed veterans’ organization

This organization could have 30 members, but the press still gives it coverage. Sort of like the protests that they cover for the illegals. Often times there are only a couple of dozen people and the press gives them a headline.

USA Today has been identified as one of the publications, like the NYT, that have been the most virulent in attacking Trump.

More negative articles from an already compromised source. JMO

What I don't understand is why they think McCain pulling his endorsement of Trump would make any difference to Trump or Trump Supporters/Voters. People who like Trump don't like McCain, so what's their point when you get down to it?

Originally Posted by Judy

What I don't understand is why they think McCain pulling his endorsement of Trump would make any difference to Trump or Trump Supporters/Voters. People who like Trump don't like McCain, so what's their point when you get down to it?

Negative press spin towards people that don't have the time to research to know if they are telling the truth.