oped: Ok I respect Rick Perry,John McCain, and Lindsey Graham's military service...however this does not give them a pass..John and Lindsey do not get my respect for service in Congress on the political spectrum and now Rick Perry is giving me second thoughts...I want a real General as CIC ya know like General Washington! Just because one served does not get my vote...it depends on how and where they served ..gaining experience as a CIC...I am so done with week-end warriors without a clue! I am now leaning towards Ben Carson,Ted Cruz but must admit 'The Donald' is exposing the frauds and week-kneed~ week-end warriors!
Real-estate magnate Donald Trump's latest comments were a bridge too far for many top Republican presidential rivals. And at least one candidate wants him out of the race.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said Trump should be disqualified from running for president.
"His attack on veterans make him unfit to be Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces, and he should immediately withdraw from the race for President," Perry said in a statement.
At an event in Iowa on Saturday, Trump raised eyebrows for criticizing Sen. John McCain's (R-Arizona) military service and status as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
"He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured," Trump said.
Trump's comments sparked immediate condemnation from the Republican presidential field. Perry was the first to explicitly call for him to withdraw from the race.
"I respect Sen. McCain because he volunteered to serve his country," Perry said in a statement. "I cannot say the same of Mr. Trump. His comments have reached a new low in American politics."
GOP candidate and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), McCain's long-time friend, also said Trump's comments were "disqualifying." Other Republican hopefuls, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), condemned Trump's remarks.
Trump was quick to slightly tone down his comments about McCain, though he did not apologize.
"He is yet another all talk, no action politician who spends too much time on television and not enough time doing his job and helping the [veterans]," Trump said in a statement. "He is also allowing our military to decrease substantially in size and strength, something which should never be allowed to happen."
As it has done when defending
controversial comments in the past, Trump's campaign cited the
excitement in the crowd as proof that his message resonated with the
crowd.
"Note,
Mr. Trump left to a long lasting standing ovation, which will be by far
the biggest ovation of the weekend, and much congratulatory praise," a
statement from the Trump campaign said.
Trump's
comments come after McCain criticized the real estate mogul earlier
this month for bringing out "the crazies" in the Republican base.
Perry — a former cargo-plane
pilot in the Air Force — made military service a major part of his
presidential campaign. In his announcement speech last month, the former
governor was joined onstage with several veterans and the wife of
sharpshooter Chris Kyle, made famous by the semi-biographical film
American Sniper.
No comments:
Post a Comment