The tit for tat between President Donald Trump and Retired Adm. William McRaven intensified on Sunday as the admiral lashed out at the president on CNN after Trump dismissed him as a "Hillary Clinton backer."
"I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else," said McRaven, who has been a fierce critic of the president. "I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times."
Trump downplayed McRaven's significance during an interview on Fox News. When Fox’s Chris Wallace tried to point out McRaven’s credentials, including commanding “the operations that took down Saddam Hussein and that killed Osama bin Laden,” Trump brushed off the accomplishments, saying "OK, he's a Hilary Clinton backer and an Obama-backer, and frankly ... wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that?”
McRaven told CNN in response that he stands by “my comment that the president's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime. When you undermine the people's right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands."
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