Trump: I Do Not Owe John McCain an Apology

RADDATZ: “Do you owe John McCain an apology?”

TRUMP: “No, not at all. Actually, if you look at Sharyl Attkisson’s report last night, four times she said I said perfectly, I said whatever it was, and it was absolutely fine. And she thought the press was covering me very — very, very unfairly. And she stated that strongly. And I respect her as a reporter. And somebody that a lot of other people respect. Also and very importantly I got a standing ovation, the biggest ovation they had all weekend, by far. When I left the room, it was a total standing ovation. It was wonderful to see. Nobody was insulted. What happened is, later on, the Republican candidates, some of whom are registering 1 percent and zero, and they’re very upset that I’m leading the polls by actually a nice margin, they’re extremely upset and they were extremely when the Nevada numbers just came out and they’re through the roof too. They started attacking me —“

RADDATZ: “Mr. Trump, I want to — let’s go back to this issue of John McCain, and you’re talking about the Sharyl Attkisson piece. You said he’s a war hero because he was captured, I believe perhaps he’s a war hero. I want to read you a short bio of John McCain. He was shot down in 1967 on his 23rdd bombing mission over North Vietnam. He fractured both arms and a leg when he ejected and nearly drowned when he parachuted into a lake. He was pulled out by North Vietnamese, who crushed his shoulder with a rifle and bayoneted him. He was beaten, tortured, and interrogated. He spent five and a half years a POW. The North Vietnamese offered McCain early release for propaganda purposes. He refused until every man taken before him was released. He cannot raise his arms above his head to this day because of his wartime injuries. You do not think that is a war hero, captured or not?”

TRUMP: “I didn’t say anything differently. And if you read — and if you watch and take a look at what you have, I said nothing differently. I’m very disappointed in John McCain because the vets are horribly treated in this country. I’m fight for the vets. I’ve done a lot for the vets. And the vets — I’ve been going around to the campaign trail. They’re treated like third-class citizens. He’s done nothing to help the vets. And I will tell you, they are living in hell.”