Donald Trump isn't backing down on his comments about Sen. John McCain's record on veterans affairs, but he did concede on Wednesday that the former POW is a "great guy."
His comments on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" were directed to Meghan McCain,
the senator's daughter, who is now a Fox News commentator, after she'd been reported as saying that his comments initially questioning her father's heroism were
"disgusting."
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"Well, I think when people looked at my statement they said it was right," said Trump. "It was messed up by the press as usual, the media. Most importantly, her father is a great guy and great man. I supported him for president. I think she's going to do a good job on Fox. She's got the television personality that's very important. I think she'll be successful."
McCain, coming on the show after Trump, commented that the matter really wasn't about insulting her father, but also about Trump "offending veterans and POWs. If he would apologize and say you know what, maybe I was disrespectful to POWs who spent time serving our country, I think it would be fine."
However, she said she believes Trump is far ahead in the polls because of his name identification.
"Donald Trump hosted a popular television show," she said. "Most Americans don't know Carly Fiorina and Marco Rubio. You just had Rubio on a few moments ago, and you're having a Fox debate coming up in a few weeks. The statements he's saying about Donald Trump being classless will resonate with people."
Moreover, McCain said she believes it's more important to focus on the failures of the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton, not "who's more popular or who gets the most buzz in the press right now."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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