[Above image: Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference]
Donald Trump appears to have gotten under the skin of not only Democrats, but also fellow Republicans and the news media. Has that subjected Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, to unfair and/or inaccurate reporting?
An article in the Washington Post today is headlined, “Trump slams McCain for being ‘captured’ in Vietnam.”
The article’s lead sentence states, “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump slammed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a decorated Vietnam War veteran, on Saturday by saying McCain was not a war hero because he was captured by the North Vietnamese [emphasis added].”
Is this report accurate?
In fact, Trump’s actual quote is the opposite of what is presented in the Post’s first sentence.
Discussion
1. The Post did not provide context at the outset disclosing that McCain and Trump have been feuding, with McCain characterizing some Trump supporters as “crazies” and Trump stating that McCain graduated last in his class in Annapolis. The charged rhetoric continued at the conservative Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa this weekend.
2. When a panelist characterized McCain as a “war hero,” the Post is accurate in reporting that Trump initially said McCain is “not a war hero.” But then, Trump immediately modified his statement saying– four times– that McCain is a war hero:
“He is a war hero.”
“He’s a war hero because he was captured.”
“He’s a war hero, because he was captured.”
“I believe, perhaps, he’s a war hero. But right now, he’s said some very bad things about a lot of people.”
3. Did Trump say McCain is not a war hero because he was captured? No, not in the exchanges represented in the Post.
4. Is the Post’s characterization an accident? It would appear not, because it is repeated in the Post’s caption of the video clip, which also states: “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a decorated Vietnam war veteran, was not a war hero because he was captured by the North Vietnamese [emphasis added].”
Further, in the Post’s second sentence, Trump is quoted as stating of McCain, “He’s not a war hero…He’s a war hero because he was captured,” but the article selectively left out the phrase Trump had uttered in between: “He is a war hero.”
Conclusion
Trump actually said the opposite of what the Post lead sentence and video caption claim. The Post might have been able to get away stating that Trump “implied” McCain was not a war hero because McCain was captured, but even that would have been a subjective interpretation since Trump had actually stated the opposite.
It’s true that Trump stated one time that McCain is not a war hero. But Trump stated four times that McCain is a war hero–and that was not accurately characterized in the article.
For interpreting and characterizing Trump’s true quote in a way that is at best questionable, and for selectively using some quotes and leaving others out, the Post receives Two Little Devils. (Ratings scale at end of article.)
Obviously, all are free to draw conclusions about any candidate or politician. But the news media has a responsibility to do its best to report accurately and fairly–even when reporters find a candidate and/or his positions to be personally distasteful.
More information
Read the Washington Post article and watch the Donald Trump C-SPAN video excerpt:
Other Fact Checks
https://sharylattkisson.com/fact-check-washington-posts-alyssa-rosenbergs-errors/
https://sharylattkisson.com/fact-check-slate-com-vaccines-autism-claims/
Unfortunately, we live in a country that glorifies the military. Anybody walking through the airport in fatigues is considered a hero, even if they never leave the US. The term hero has been co-opted to mean “is in the military”.
To me, and I think Trump, you are a hero if you do something really brave and fantastic. Getting shot down does not meet that definition to me.
Keep in mind John Kerry served his country with honor, came back and spoke hard truths about the fraud that was Viet Nam then disgusting Bush Republicans including friends of McCain Swiftboated him with lies. Republicans like Cheney, Bush, Trump love to dodge the draft and insult those who are fooled to serve.
i have listened to john mccain for some years. most if not all his ramblings never come to fruition. i agree with mr. trump. they dont call mccain the songbird because he can hold a note
Senator John McCain should respond to Donald Trump with a list – in chronological order – of all the many positive and wonderful things McCain has accomplished assisting and supporting all of our veterans during his past and current tenure as a Senator.
In fact, this should be posed as a question, “What have you done to support and assist all of our veterans?” – addressed to all the presidential hopefuls – Republican, Democrat, etc.- when they’re campaigning in towns and cities across the U.S.A.
As an old guy, a lifelong conservative, and an Arizona resident, I think an apology is owed to America by the Arizona republicans who keep letting this American traitor represent us in the U.S. Senate Trump said absolutely nothing out of line and should be applauded for telling the plain truth.
If anyone needs to shut up and go away it’s John McCain. He had his chance to run and make a difference and we all know how that turned out. We don’t need his brand as a model for this election. He has done enough damage already but he insists on interjecting his worn out comments. The only missing apology is McCain to the citizens he disrespected by calling them crazies. BTW…… THE ELECTION IS NOT ABOUT JOHN MCCAIN ! Does anyone besides me think there are much more important issues to focus on?
I agree with Attkisson. Leave it to the media to engage in slanted journalism to achieve their goal of attacking Trump from any angle they can on any subject they disagree with him on. His comments were taken out of context by leaving out key information he stated while making his comments re McCain. In all fairness, Trump was actually standing up for vets who he felt were thrown by the wayside by McCain. He stated they have long wait times in horrid conditions to be seen by doctors, all of which is very true. The media is trying to twist his words to insinuate he is attacking all vets & POWs as well as McCain. So not true. In fact, it is just the opposite. It was clearly evident to me upon watching the video clip that Trump cares very deeply about vets, and he is disgusted w/McCain for not doing enough. Anyone can leave out key facts to achieve a certain goal they want to portray to the public. This is a classic example of that by the media hounds who want to destroy Trump and take him down.
I think sharyl is so freaking hot!!! But she’s the one reporter i believe and not just because she’s so freaking hot!!!
I am still very much on Donald Trump’s side and I most definitely will vote for him. I personally don’t care how he views John McCain… it’s irrelevant. I really could care less. What I do know is this: I don’t have to question the fact that Trump is a 100% conservative and a 100% American Patriot. The ONLY reason he’s facing criticism is because he is telling the truth – even when it hurts.
I have agreed with him on every single issue he has addressed and I will continue to support him. Donald Trump is the man America needs right now – even if it’s no more than just 4 years. That’s the same length John Adams served… and he did all right.
Actually, there was/is a program that aired with McCain as the storyline. Within the interview he confessed that he had not followed his wingman and ended up in enemy territory. He himself said he was not any sort of hero. He was not held as a prisoner as he was immediately released.
Donald Trump is right, John McCain is a war hero BECAUSE he was captured. Thousands of veterans did their jobs exceptionally well but have never been recognized as a hero because no one knows what they did. John McCain got a lot of publicity because of his father and because he was a POW. That does not take away from anything he die, but just states a fact! The powers to be hate Donald Trump and will do anything to ruin his campaign. If you don’t like Trump, at least his honesty is refreshing!
…and yet McCain DID break under pressure and give out US installation locations and admitted to bombing civilians and his taped confession was played endlessly at the Hanoi Hilton to break other US POWS WHO DID NOT BREAK UNDER TORTURE!
The RINO ROYALS & FOX’S MURDOCH hate Trump and will spread any lie they can to get him out of the race. Unfortunately for FOX’s porn publisher, MURDOCH, and the BUSH ROYAL FAMILY and the other RINO ROYALS, Trump won’t quit.
What a breath of fresh air!
At last we have real UNBIASED fact checker in Sheryl Atkinson as opposed to those on the liberal side who pretend to be fact checkers.
There are two different points here:
1) did Trump denigrate McCain’s war record?
2) is John McCain a coward.
The answer to both is YES.
It is clear what Trump meant to say if you watch the whole video. To paraphrase he said ” just because McCain was captured doesn’t make him a hero” If you see anything else there you are suffering from extreme cognitive dissonance.
And it is clear that after the Bush team swift-boated him during the 2000 election cycle, he was too cowardly to stand up for Kerry when they did the same to him, or to stand up for Murtha when Bachman lectured him on military service, etc., etc. He was rewarded for his cowardice with the 2008 nomination – how is that working out for him?
McCain is a classic Washington Politician who can’t let go. He’ll be about 80 if gets re-elected.
How about this John? Take a seat. Let’s someone else get in there.
You may think you are irreplaceable, but you aren’t.
Support Terms Limits :
3 terms for Senators
10 Terms for Congressman
Experience and Freshness in balance.
Beginning, Middle. End.
Nice job on the fact checking. Trump really has a way of unsettling liberals with truth… otherwise, the Wash Post wouldn’t have bothered to misconstrue the facts like they did.
I don’t care what the media or politicians say trump has my vote ,I never likes McCain anyway,he’s a war monger and needs to lose in the primary or retired.
Sharyl,
I have the highest regard for your diligence and integrity and your sense of fair play. You probably realize that people will sometimes change course in the middle of a statement after dropping a hint of something they wanted to say but decided at the last minute not to. Trump’s initial remark to the interviewer’s comment may have been the beginning of an opening salvo about John McCain’s treasonous conduct while a POW in North Vietnam.
It’s common knowledge to anyone who looks at the story that John McCain was given preferential treatment throughout his naval career because his father was the admiral in charge of the Pacific Fleet during the war. Certainly his captors also knew this. But McCain has been accused by fellow Vietnam Vet retired Army Col. Earl Hopper of revealing highly Classified information. “the most important of which was the package routes, which were routes used to bomb North Vietnam. He gave in detail the altitude they were flying, the direction, if they made a turn… he gave them what primary targets the United States was interested in…the information McCain provided allowed the North Vietnamese to adjust their air-defenses. As result…the US lost sixty percent more aircraft and in 1968 [and] called off the bombing of North Vietnam, because of the information McCain had given to them.” Col. Hopper’s entire story is in his story entitled:
John McCain: Privileged ‘War Hero’, Liar, Collaborator, Traitor
https://educate-yourself.org/cn/earlhopperinterview08feb08.shtml
A real American hero !
“Donald Trump appears to have gotten under the skin of not only Democrats”
Can we fact-check the fact-checkers? Which Democrats has Trump “gotten under the skin of”? Are any Democrats annoyed with Donald Trump? The reactions of Democrats I know have ranged from mild snikering to rolling on the floor laughing.
i watched what trump said, several times
trump has lost my support and vote
over the last 2 weeks i have left dozens of supportive comments
of trump at many websites
i saw his disparaging remarks again mccain (and i HATE mccain as a POLITICIAN)
and trump’s remarks that he prefers people who ‘aren’t captured.’
is BLATANTLY insulting to ALL VETERANS.
our P.O.W.s and M.I.A.s deserve honor and recognition at all times
there’s no question, that every man or woman who wears a military uniform
and serves honorably is an … AMERICAN HERO. period.
i was going to give trump a second chance hoping that he’d that today
he’d apologize to mccain and to all veterans
he was interviewed for 10 minutes this morning on fox and friends
he doubled down on his negative remarks
he lost my vote
GO CRUZ!