Trump Lies, Says He Never Called John McCain a 'Loser'
Category: News & Politics
Via: john-russell • 4 years ago • 58 commentsBy: Reed Richardson (Mediaite)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
By Reed RichardsonSep 3rd, 2020, 11:45 pm 
President Donald Trump responded to the brewing outrage over an article published on Thursday evening that claimed he repeatedly insulted WWI war dead and dismissed former Sen. John McCain as a "fucking loser."
His comments came after The Atlantic magazine's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg , ran a blockbuster report — based on four anonymous sources — that Trump cancelled a 2018 trip to a WWI American cemetery in France for fear of his hair getting mussed in the rain, and demeaned the war dead interred there as "suckers" and "losers." In addition, the story claimed Trump seethed over having to honor McCain upon his death and complained about lowering the White House flag to half-staff in memoriam.
Speaking on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews after returning from a rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Trump vigorously denied the reports and claimed the sources "made it up" and without identifying who he though they were, suggested "probably it's a couple of people that have been failures in my administration that I got rid of and I couldn't get rid of them fast enough."
The President responds pic.twitter.com/xUzhcAL6OI
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 4, 2020
Trump also mounted a defense against the radioactive story on Twitter, claiming, in something of a world-class understatement, that he "was never a big fan of John McCain." but that it "was my honor" to offer the Vietnam War veteran, longtime U.S. Senator, and 2008 Republican presidential candidate a hero's sendoff.
I was never a big fan of John McCain, disagreed with him on many things including ridiculous endless wars and the lack of success he had in dealing with the VA and our great Vets, but the lowering of our Nations American Flags, and the first class funeral he was given by our….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020
..Country, had to be approved by me, as President, & I did so without hesitation or complaint. Quite the contrary, I felt it was well deserved. I even sent Air Force One to bring his body, in casket, from Arizona to Washington. It was my honor to do so. Also, I never called..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020
But then the president curiously said that he would swear — not to God — but "on whatever, or whoever, I was asked to swear on" that he never called McCain a "loser."
….John a loser and swear on whatever, or whoever, I was asked to swear on, that I never called our great fallen soldiers anything other than HEROES. This is more made up Fake News given by disgusting & jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 Election!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020
That claim is unequivocally false. And for proof you have to look no further than…Donald Trump's own Twitter timeline.
Via @fitsnews: "Donald Trump: John McCain Is 'A Loser'" http://t.co/sgiETvdUqi
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2015
Trump also called McCain a "loser" on video, as part of his infamous comments in 2015 disparaging McCain for being captured during the Vietnam War.
"He's a war hero because he was captured," Trump said. "I like people that weren't captured."
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There is video of Trump calling John McCain a loser. It was also reported at the time. And now he says he never said any such thing. This is Trump's long time m.o. Deny reality and then depend on his chumps to defend him.
And they do, and will continue to.
But Trump did describe McCain as a loser, citing his capture by enemy forces.
"I like people who weren't captured," Trump said at an Iowa summit during his presidential campaign in 2015, adding, "I don't like losers."
On July 18, 2015, Trump also tweeted a link to a political blog that quoted him at the same event.
"Via @fitsnews: 'Donald Trump: John McCain is 'A Loser,'" Trump said in a tweet with a link to the blog.
When Trump said he likes people who werent captured and arent losers he was talking about John McCain. He wasnt talking in general or hypothetically he was talking about John McCain . That was the topic that he was discussing with the interviewer at that moment.
We are at this point in history because Trumps deplorables have allowed him, for years, to deny that he ever said something that is either on video or on his own twitter feed. This is a form of gaslighting, and it has destroyed the truth in this country.
Its a cult. An evil cult.
Reality is a bridge much too far for Trump.
And his supporters.
It would take him forever to cross it as he would be doing the ramp shuffle.
They just showed the video on CNN. Denying it happened makes it so much worse. Besides, Trump's disgusting comment was one of the reasons his fat behind wasn't welcome at John McCain's funeral.
Just like he feared people would say "mean things" about him regarding attending Bush's funeral, he probably thought the same thing about McCain's. Poor easily wounded snowflake.
That's a misrepresentation of the remark. It didn't have anything to do with him being captured. T he proof is right there in the story itself.
Another example of how people can't just criticize Trump for the things he actually said. They have to take it a step further and bend the truth to make it more compelling.
I feel incredibly sorry for you and I mean that sincerely.
I don’t give a shit and I mean that sincerely. I also don’t believe you and I mean that sincerely, too.
I swear, many of trumpturds' supporters, appear to be on his campaign, or QANon, same difference anymore...
Am I the topic now?
I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to PJ.
I do feel sorry for those who continue to defend the indefensible. They are too far in to turn back now. They can't accept that they've been fools.
We ALL survived the previous 8 years and as far as I can tell, no one died online over the results.
It was a simple question. Yes or no. Are you too embarrassed to answer?
Wow, what a swing there, friend.
Spin it as you may, Trump had zero respect for McCain and foolishly brags about it.
I’m not spinning anything. I’m facing the facts head on.
I never said Trump had respect for McCain. I know he didn’t. All I am saying is we should criticize Trump with the truth, and not some expanded, warped version of it.
I agree. There is plenty of raw material there to criticize Trump. No need for spin.
What's been spun?
The claim that Trump called McCain a loser because he was captured in war.
Semantics. You don't have to literally say something in order to "mean" something. Coddling hardcore supporters is not helping them.
Like I said PJ, there are plenty of actual words said by Trump that can even be delivered via video. There is no need to infer. In fact, making a case based solely on inference is counterproductive. It can be rebutted. In contrast, making a case on demonstrable facts makes an attempted rebuttal look foolish.
To wit ... it is best to use hard facts where possible and avoid inference and speculation.
Well you keep outlining facts to a faction of people who don't believe in facts. That seems to have worked out splendidly these past 4 years.
Which do you think works better: facts or inference?
Is it better to put forth a criticism of Trump that is based on demonstrable fact or to put forth that which can be dismissed as rumor or TDS?
Okay I am all ears. If you think facts are a poor foundation for persuading people, what method do you suggest as better?
Feel free to chime in too JR. What is the best way, in your opinion, to persuade people of something other than using facts and reason?
Neither works better for this group of people. You keep thinking they aren't like trump. That they will eventually become rational. Newsflash......they are exactly like Trump. But you're right. You should keep trying to reach them with the truth.
I wonder how you know what I am thinking?
Then what do you suggest? If facts do not work and fabrication does not work (hopefully that is true) then why bother engaging 'this group of people'? Why waste your time?
There are most definitely people who are closed minded and will reject even hard facts. We see this all the time (and it is clearly not just Trump sycophants). But there are also people who are indeed considering the facts. What value would it be to put forth unsubstantiated criticism of Trump only to be challenged and then fall flat on your face?
In contrast, do you see the value in making claims that you already know you can substantiate with facts? Yeah, the Trump sycophants are demonstrably unreachable. What about the others? Those others are the ones who will decide the election. They care about facts, right?
Seems to me, if one is to make a claim one should be prepared to defend the claim with facts. I am appalled at the number of people who just toss out claims and then crumble on the first challenge. How can they possibly think they are doing their cause any good if their claim can be popped like a balloon?
( By the way, I have select Trump sycophants in mind regarding the above.
)
As for this story, we should present this as very serious hearsay. This is certainly believable based on Trump's character and way of thinking, but we should not leap to a conclusion. Instead, we should be looking for supporting evidence and, when found, make a cogent argument.
If this is true, I suspect the evidence will emerge. If it does emerge, this could be the final nail in Trump's reelection coffin.
That has nothing to do with it. I am referring to the quality of the argument in support of the claims. I find far more failure to make a cogent argument from Trump sycophants than I do from their polar opposites: the never Trumpers.
While I generally disagree with both extremes, the pro-Trump extreme seems to be mostly cheerleading and talking points.
I don't waste my time and I don't care what trump supporters believe. I stopped caring a long time ago. I don't feel challenged to prove anything because they aren't worth the effort. But that's just who I am. I'll be me and you be you.
Opinion is fine Kathleen. The difference I am noting are claims. One can have the opinion that Trump is net good for the USA. That opinion certainly is up for challenge, but if one is not willing to divulge their reasoning that is fine.
However, those who claim that Trump is, say, the greatest PotUS or that Trump is singularly responsible for the economy prior to COVID-19, etc. should be challenged. If they cannot support their claim except with their own personal opinion or by citing talking points or 'authorities' then their claims are meritless and will not persuade anyone.
And the same goes for the other side, but as I noted, I find this to be more a failure on the right nowadays. Likely because Trump is the PotUS and defending such an individual is a very tough gig. No wonder that a lot of his defenders very quickly resort to ugly tactics.
Trump supporters support the worst person in the world. Don't try to blame anyone else for what you do.
You broke it you fix it.
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Trump’s Defenders: He Doesn’t Hate the Troops, He Just ‘Sounds Like an Asshole’
That statement in the article is quite accurate. When he called McCain a loser it WAS part of a conversation that also included McCain allowing himself to be captured.
Are you aware by the way that Trump retweeted "Trump: McCain Is A Loser". ?
It says right there in the story that the loser reference was for the 2008 campaign. I am aware that Trump disrespected McCain for being captured. I think that is below the belt, frankly. Trump was out of line and I don’t mind saying so.
They are two different things, though, and we should have the integrity to not mingle them dishonestly.
Good luck with a nuanced argument with the orange man bad crowd.
I wonder how many of the people purporting to be so offended by Trump’s statement attacked representative John Lewis for comparing McCain to a church bomber?
Jeffery Goldberg reported that Trump said to the effect of "why the fuck do we have to lower the flag for John McCain"? With what you know of Trump's character and personality, do you think he said that or not?
People who try and defend Trump have to compare him to hundreds of other people, finding one flaw this one had and one flaw that one had and one mistake such and such made and one mistake so and so so made, sometimes using an example from 50 or 100 years ago, to prove that Trump is not uniquely bad. But in the end all that does is prove that he is.
Now its John Lewis Trump is compared to, another time it will be Woodrow Wilson or Adlai Stevenson or Muhammad Ali.
Why not just compare Trump to normal human behavior ? There he loses every time though.
I agree that sounds like something Trump might say. And when people just take this as truth, it is partially a result of Trump's own behavior. He just makes it easy to believe he would think and say all sorts of ugly crap.
It wouldn't surprise me. I think a lot of our Presidents would have made similar comments about their political enemies in similar situations. Politics isn't sunshine and rainbows. It is often personal and petty snubs aren't new. Look at how Eisenhower and Truman treated each other. Would you be surprised if a Chicago pol made that sort of comment about a rival in private?
It's pretty clear Trump and McCain hated each other on a personal level. that Trump would disparage him, or McCain Trump, wouldn't really surprise me. People say things like that all the time, but don't follow through. Just like Trump ultimately lowered the flag for McCain.
True that Trump did not call McCain a loser because of being captured but rather because of his loss to Obama.
Here is what he did do:
He discredited McCain and all POWs with that remark.
I am not sure why the article in the Atlantic is news. Anyone paying attention already knew how this president feels about those who serve and die in uniform.
Some people cant see the forest for the trees, and they dont even look.
Now he blames Obama for the past and Biden for the future while ignoring who the current POTUS is.
smh
"Now he blames Obama for the past and Biden for the future while ignoring who the current POTUS is."
That's what a lot of trumpturd supporters are doing also. Blaming Joe Biden for all of his (trumptuds') fuck-ups.
Back in 2007 songbird mccain was a racist nazi. Now he’s a hero to the left. What changed between then and his death? oh yeah, he had a hissy fit about a non-politician being able to accomplish something he couldn’t do in a lifetime in politics.
Most people can separate politics from the person. I never much agreed with McCain's politics, but I never doubted that he was a good man. Same with GWB; terrible president, but he is a good man. It's called not being a partisan hack.
I call it hypocrisy.