[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/
You’re better than this Sharyl.
I’d still like to believe it.
But any honest and thorough examination of Trump’s comments, as other objective commenters have pointed out, renders your examination incomplete at best and deliberately misleading at best.
I know you know you know this. Which makes it all the more disheartening.
Again
You are above this Sharyl
As usual SHARYL ATTKISSON has it right. The truth is the truth if if no one likes it. Only once in my life have I ever felt good about the man I helped elect. The rest have been based on the “lesser evil” philosophy which is a sad commentary on our choices since I am an old man. I am also a veteran and I? will tell you that if the right person gets a hold of you you will tell them everything you can and even make things up if you think it will stop the torture.The hero that won’t is a movie hero.The problem is too many Americans believe but don’t think, hear without listening and believe everything the media tells them, even the stupid movies. Mc Cain endured a lot if his book is credible.Not having been there I;m not qualified to speak on that. Still if one reads his book one finds always his admission that he was a screw-up most of the time. That said I have never been able to vote democrat but have voted independent and republican, although now I am considering adapting a page from George Carlin’s playbook. It doesn’t seem there much difference between the damnocrats and the rollovers. Maybe trump can shake things up.
The crime, from my point of view, is not so much “what he really thinks about Senator McCain.” It’s how can anyone be that daft to say it?
What difference does it make about McCain being a war hero? WHO CARES? We have Vets that are unable to get healthcare, with scandal after scandal. Illegal Aliens pouring in to this country, and we FINALLY have someone who stands up and says something, and they want to attack him over semantics? War Hero, NOT War Hero, that was how long ago? What is he doing NOW? Is he a Congressional Hero? Has he stood up for our Vets to get them what they need? Has he done ANYTHING to support our wounded vets? Then no, he’s no HERO at all, he’s a RINO Loser left leaning Republican spineless loser, and I hope Trump wipes the floor with him and everyone like him.
I don’t know if McCain is a war hero or not…. I could argue that EVERY soldier is/was a “war hero” but that wouldn’t necessarily be accurate nor does it reflect the valor of the brave men and women who have risen well above the call of duty to reflect TRUE heroism…
My grandfather was a POW in WWII. He was abused, starved and nearly died. He wouldn’t and didn’t call himself a “war hero” however. Having been a POW itself is not enough to be classified a “war hero”. It is enough however to be classified as a former POW. I have a lot of respect for POW’s. They endured so much. However, they didn’t return home and ride that train for the rest of their life. They didn’t get riled up if someone didn’t call them a hero. They were brave men who fought for their country and should be recognized as such. At some point though a person ceases to be defined by one act of courage or brave action.
What has McCain done since being a POW to justify a claim that he is a ‘hero”? He does go against the flow but usually, it’s against the flow of his party. He does like to lead and has sold out conservatism on many occasions. Are these the principles of a “hero”?
Do I see McCain as a “hero”? NO. But that’s my personal viewpoint. He’s a former POW, the same as my grandfather. If my grandfather didn’t consider himself a hero, I’m sure he would say that being POW isn’t enough unto itself to wear that badge of honor, how can I call McCain, who doesn’t reflect the values of heroism, a hero?
Honor McCain as a former POW. If you view him a hero, call him a hero. However, let’s be straight here, one act of heroism doesn’t define a hero. If that is his ONLY claim to heroism what does that tell you? Maybe that’s enough in your book, but not mine…
Before I even read, I just want to say: Wow, that’s a lot closer to Donald Trump’s face than I ever wanted to get.
Now I’ll read. (c:
Whether or not John McCain is a war hero, I do not know, since I wasn’t there and didn’t witness his behavior during his flight, ejection, capture, and incarceration as a POW. But, I do know that John McCain IS a traitor to conservatives and the Republican Party in general. He consistently talks conservative in order to get elected and then, once his term in office is secure, paddles to the left as quickly, and as reliably as possible. He needs to be removed from office by Arizona voters as quickly as possible; he has parlayed sympathy for his POW years into multiple elections to public office, but those years of capture in no way qualify him as a good decision maker on things of importance to our country.
It’s a hell of a note when telling the truth about what happened at an event is an action of reckless courage!
In my view, one important thing not addressed in this review is the inference that Trump shamed those who had been in prison camps, by saying, “I don’t like losers, he is not a hero….. He is a war hero because he got captured. I like people who weren’t captured”.
Although the rest of Atkisson’s assessment is technically correct, I believe a “shaming” issue has not been addressed.
Trump did say, “I don’t like losers”.
Trump did say, “I like people who weren’t captured”
This inference is clear. Trump doesn’t like losers, and does like people who weren’t captured.
Otherwise, I applaud Ms. Attkisson for bringing “the spirit of truth” to the media, as she exposes the “out of context” way the Post wrote its article, and made the case for objective reporting. Great Job apart from avoiding the shaming of the prisoners of war.
For clarity:
Luntz: “He’s a war hero. He’s a war hero …”
Trump: “He’s not a war hero …”
Luntz: “He’s a war hero.”
Trump: “He is a war hero …”
Luntz: “Five and half years in a Vietnamese prison camp …”
Trump: “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured. So he’s a war hero …”
Luntz: “Do you agree with that?”
Trump: “He’s a war hero, because he was captured, okay? I believe, perhaps, he’s a war hero. But right now he said some very bad things about a lot of people. So what I said is John McCain, I disagree with him that these people aren’t crazy.”
“I like people that weren’t captured” is the key statement that signifies Trump’s tone. That statement is curiously omitted from this “fact check”. Coincidence? Nah.
If you watch the video, it’s evident that he’s saying that people call him a war hero because he was captured, but in Trump’s opinion, that doesn’t make him a war hero.
If you are captured you are a hero.
If you are not captured you are forgotten.
Thank you Sharyl Attkisson for telling the truth as usual. Facts are facts. In my opinion, Senator McCain is NO HERO. He survived a POW camp and throughout his military career benefited as an admiral’s son. Regardless, I respect his service to our country in the military even though much of it per the record is quite less than stellar. NOTHING Trump spoke was worthy of any apology or retraction. Thank you for being an outlet of truth.
This black USAF veteran can forgive The Donald for his comments about John McCain getting shot down.
But I cannot forgive Senator McCain for his voting record or his behavior during his time in Congress over the years, especially as it relates to veterans and the Veterans Administration.
Why?
Donald Trump has been steadfastly bringing up and discussing all the subjects no other politician is willing to talk about, putting the ugliness of it all out there in the open and telling the truth about it. Do many of the Mexican and other nationalities sneaking across the border have a lot of problems? Absolutely. Is the Mexican government benefiting from their journey north by saving a ton of money not solving the problems of the less fortunate Mexicans who cross illegally? Again, absolutely.
Trump is the only candidate bringing up the uncomfortable subjects that no one else in this race dares to cover in detail. INCLUDING HOW LITTLE WAR HERO SENATOR MCCAIN HAS DONE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMATIC VETERANS ADMINISTRATION ISSUES.
And good, bad or ugly, Trump is telling the truth about it all.
McCain should be standing with Sheriff Joe Arpaio and others in Arizona supporting anyone willing to tackle the border problem by arrest and deportation of those who are here illegally. But instead, McCain calls those who are willing to stand up and speak truth to power “crazies” – McCain’s words, not mine.
I agree with Sharyl the news media has stopped being biased worst being CNN. They pick and chose and manipulate videos and audio clips to get the story out the way they want it… And the sleeping sheep out there believe everything the news media is feeding them because they are to stupid or lazy to do a little inquiring of their own to find the truth. Everyone on the top want trump gone bcuz he doesn’t owe nothing to anyone. He has been bringing up truths and problems that our politicians don’t want us to think about or know. I think it’s about time someone different than a lazy politician that does nothing but take and spend our taxes and can’t work together to make the country a better place.
I remember hoping that when Jeff Bezos took over the Washington Post it would become a real newspaper, unlike for example the New York Times.
So what I mainly notice about this article and discussion is that the Post got things going by being a lousy newspaper. Don’t play games with the words. Just tell us what these people say. Then we will make up our minds for ourselves. My opinion of Trump and McCain are about the same, but I feel that Jeff Bezos is betraying the country and journalism.
It is both sad and ironic that liberals, who have consistently ridiculed McCain and his role in the war in Viet Nam, suddenly proclaim him the great war hero and patriot in an effort to smear Trump for telling the truth about the federal government’s refusal to enforce immigration laws. Al Franken, John Kerry,and many others have ridiculed McCain’s service, but suddenly one reference to McCain’s military service has them foaming at the mouth. They didn’t seem to be bothered by McCain’s reference to those who support law enforcement as “crazies.” Of course, I would assume that anyone who supports the rule of law would be considered “crazy” by rebellious liberals.
I am tired of recycled politicians, and Mr. Trump is shrewd businessman that he is the only that can out America back on top. I am also tired of the Republican party that stands in everyone ways. I will never vote Democrat, so If the republican party wants to win this election put someone that makes sense, don’t want a softy to lead this county. we have one now and we all can see his results.
Is this the exhaustive piece of “journalism” that Trump champions as decisive analysis that proves he did not say what he said? Did Sheryl Atkission have to go to the chiropractor after bending and twisting to come up with some defense of Trump, regardless how weak and nonsensical it is. Reminds me of the old saw – “are you going to believe what I’m telling you, or are you going to believe your lying eyes?”
Trump: “(McCain) insulted me and he insulted everybody in that room. And I said somebody should run against John McCain, who has been, in my opinion, not so hot. And I supported him for president. I raised $1 million for him. That’s a lot of money. I supported him, he lost, he let us down. But he lost and I never liked him much after that ’cause I don’t like losers. But, but — Frank, Frank, let me get to it.
Luntz: “He’s a war hero. He’s a war hero …”
Trump: “He’s not a war hero …”
Luntz: “He’s war hero.”
Trump: “He is a war hero …”
Luntz: “Five and half years in a Vietnamese prison camp …”
Trump: “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured. So he’s a war hero …”
Luntz: “Do you agree with that?”
Trump: “He’s a war hero, because he was captured, okay? I believe, perhaps, he’s a war hero.
disagree with his comment being over the pale. There are many story’s from his fellow POWS and many are not nice to him. Is there proof? Doubt it. Even if there was would tend to think it would have been destroyed by now