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- President Donald Trump denied having ever called the late Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona a "loser," despite having previously tweeted out a news article that described himself doing exactly that.
- Trump denied a report from The Atlantic that claimed he called McCain and former President George H.W. Bush losers.
- Trump admitted on Twitter that he "was never a big fan" of McCain, but that despite their differences, he had "never called John a loser."
- In 2015, Trump tweeted a link to a political blog that quoted himself calling McCain a loser.
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President Donald Trump on Thursday evening denied having ever called the late Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona a "loser," despite having previously tweeted out a news article that described himself doing exactly that.
Trump and his senior officials attempted to deflect from the blowback from an article published in The Atlantic that quoted several officials who claimed the president made disparaging remarks about US service members — including those who died in battle and those who went on to become notable politicians.
According to The Atlantic, Trump reportedly referred to McCain and former President George H.W. Bush, both of whom served in the US Navy as fighter pilots, as "losers" for being shot down by the enemy.
The former Arizona senator's plane was shot down during the Vietnam War, leading to his capture and torture at the hands of the North Vietnamese forces for more than five years. Bush's plane was shot down by Japanese forces during World War II. Trump himself received a deferral for service in the war, claiming he had bone spurs in his feet.
After McCain died from his fight with brain cancer in 2018, Trump was angry when the late senator received half-staff flag honors, The Atlantic also reported. Trump told his staff of McCain: "We're not going to support that loser's funeral," according to the report.
Trump took to Twitter to deny the claims made in The Atlantic. He admitted he "was never a big fan" of McCain and that he "disagreed with him on many things." But despite their differences, Trump claimed, he had "never called John a loser."
—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020
—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020
—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020
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 that, "I don't like losers."
On July 18, 2015, Trump also tweeted a link to a political blog that quoted himself at the same event.
"Via @fitsnews: 'Donald Trump: John McCain is 'A Loser,'" Trump said in a tweet with a link to the blog.
—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2015
Trump also denied having disparaged US service members who were killed during World War I. The Atlantic reported that during a 2018 trip to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris, Trump told senior staffers that the cemetery was "filled with losers" and that US Marines who died at the Battle of Belleau Wood were "suckers."
Trump told reporters Thursday that the Atlantic's sources were "lowlifes."
"I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes," he said. "There is nobody that respects them more. So, I just think it's a horrible, horrible thing."
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said on Thursday that the president denied the allegations made in the report "in very emphatic terms," adding that, "He was more offended by them."
Following The Atlantic's report, The Washington Post reported that Trump also frequently disparaged veterans and soldiers missing in action, also calling them "losers." Citing a former senior administration official, the Post reported that Trump told senior advisers he didn't understand why the military spent highly valued finding soldiers missing in action. He said if they were captured, they deserved what they got, one source told the Post.
- Read more:
- 'We only have one truly sacred obligation': Biden hits back at Trump for reportedly calling dead US troops 'losers'
- Trump called US Marines who died during World War I 'losers' and 'suckers,' report says
- 'This is who he is': Founder of veterans group blasts Trump for reportedly calling dead soldiers 'losers'
- Trump reportedly called John McCain a 'f---ing loser' and said 'we're not going to support that loser's funeral'
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