AMES, Iowa (AP) – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump criticized Arizona Sen. John McCain’s military record Saturday, saying he was a “war hero because he was captured.”
Speaking at a conference of religious conservatives in Iowa, Trump was pressed on his recent description of the 2008 Republican presidential nominee as “a dummy.”
McCain served as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War. He was captured after his plane was shot down and was held more than five years as a prisoner of war. The moderator, Republican pollster Frank Luntz, described McCain as “a war hero.”
Trump said McCain “is a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” The comment drew some boos from the audience.
During a news conference after his appearance, Trump did not apologize but sought to clarify his remarks.