In one of his first international acts as president, Donald Trump signed off on an al-Qaeda raid in Yemen. After the attack resulted in the deaths of multiple civilians and an American solider, the administration still claimed it was a success.
McCain on Trump
During Wednesday afternoon's daily briefing, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked about the aforementioned raid in Yemen. Spicer was visibly frustrated with the questioning, and said it was insulting to the memory of the fallen solider to criticize the incident. Like Spicer, the White House has also doubled down, and insisted they made the right decision.
In response, Arizona Sen. John McCain gave his thoughts, and wasn't too pleased at how the Donald Trump administration has handled the aftermath of the raid, as reported on February 8.
McCain Fires Back at Sean Spicer Scolding People for Saying Yemen Raid Wasn’t a Success https://t.co/QyaHEm1mLU pic.twitter.com/e7AYKPIXt0
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) February 8, 2017
During the press conference, Sean Spicer said, "Anybody who undermines the success of the raid owes an apology and a disservice to the life of Chief Owens." When asked if that was in reference to McCain's recent criticism, Spicer confirmed that it included anyone who spoke out. While speaking to NBC News, John McCain offered his additional response.
The senator spoke about his time as a POW in Vietnam, stating, "because the mission failed it did not in anyway diminish the courage and willingness to help their fellow Americans who were held captive. Mr. Spicer should know the story."
McCain details POW past in response to White House attack on his Yemen raid comments: https://t.co/KQIHBUCMei pic.twitter.com/4wIRuxlpeP
— The Hill (@thehill) February 8, 2017
In a statement later released by McCain's office, the senator continued his criticism.
"While many of the objectives of the recent raid in Yemen were met, I would not describe any operation that results in the loss of American life as a success," the statement went on to read. Despite this, John McCain and the billionaire real estate mogul have clashed on more than one occasion, as their feud is well documented and goes back to the start of the Republican primary.
Next up
While Donald Trump has only been the commander in chief for two weeks, he's dealing with heavy backlash that appears to growing by the day. Regardless of the current state of the country, the former host of "The Apprentice" doesn't appear willing to change his tune anytime soon.
