Posted on Aug 5, 2016
Veterans activists to McCain: Stand up to Trump
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A group of veteran activists delivered boxes of petitions to the Capitol Hill office of Vietnam veteran Sen. John McCain on Thursday, urging him to rescind his endorsement of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for a series of controversial statements.
The event, with more than twice the number of media than protesters, came during the quiet August congressional break in Washington but amid a firestorm of attention for Trump’s campaign, caught in a series of scandals in the wake of the Democratic convention in Philadelphia a week earlier.
Group organizers, which included the left-leaning advocacy organization MoveOn.org and the anti-Trump Vets vs Hate coalition, said the Republican Arizona senator needs to set an example for his fellow lawmakers by distancing himself from Trump and his “hateful rhetoric” for the good of the nation.
“John McCain is a leader within his party, he is known as someone who stands up for his values … and he is someone who Donald Trump has personally insulted,” said Alexander McCoy, a Marine Corps veteran who has organized numerous veterans-themed protests of Trump during the campaign.
“We believe that McCain, and other Republican leaders in the party like (House Speaker) Paul Ryan and (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell, have a responsibility to stand up and represent the values the Republican party has always been about, and not accept this kind of disrespect.”
Trump has taken intense criticism in recent days from political opponents, veterans groups and even Republican leaders for his publicly fighting with a Gold Star father who spoke at the Democratic convention and for comments he made while receiving a Purple Heart from a supporter.
Veterans at the petition event also accused him of “spreading hate” through policy proposals which would bar Muslim immigrants from America and promises to improve national security through more aggressive use of the military.
Group members emphasized they and petition signers are not endorsing Trump’s election opponent, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, but condemning Trump as unfit for the commander-in-chief post.
More than 100,000 individuals signed the petition. Earlier this week, McCain blasted Trump for his insensitive comments toward the Gold Star father, but stopped short of rescinding his endorsement of him.
The two have publicly sparred since last summer, when Trump questioned McCain’s status as a combat veteran and war hero because he was captured by enemy forces in the Vietnam War. Veterans groups called the comments insulting to all prisoners of war, but Trump brushed off calls for an apology.
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Leo Shane III covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He can be reached at [login to see] .
The event, with more than twice the number of media than protesters, came during the quiet August congressional break in Washington but amid a firestorm of attention for Trump’s campaign, caught in a series of scandals in the wake of the Democratic convention in Philadelphia a week earlier.
Group organizers, which included the left-leaning advocacy organization MoveOn.org and the anti-Trump Vets vs Hate coalition, said the Republican Arizona senator needs to set an example for his fellow lawmakers by distancing himself from Trump and his “hateful rhetoric” for the good of the nation.
“John McCain is a leader within his party, he is known as someone who stands up for his values … and he is someone who Donald Trump has personally insulted,” said Alexander McCoy, a Marine Corps veteran who has organized numerous veterans-themed protests of Trump during the campaign.
“We believe that McCain, and other Republican leaders in the party like (House Speaker) Paul Ryan and (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell, have a responsibility to stand up and represent the values the Republican party has always been about, and not accept this kind of disrespect.”
Trump has taken intense criticism in recent days from political opponents, veterans groups and even Republican leaders for his publicly fighting with a Gold Star father who spoke at the Democratic convention and for comments he made while receiving a Purple Heart from a supporter.
Veterans at the petition event also accused him of “spreading hate” through policy proposals which would bar Muslim immigrants from America and promises to improve national security through more aggressive use of the military.
Group members emphasized they and petition signers are not endorsing Trump’s election opponent, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, but condemning Trump as unfit for the commander-in-chief post.
More than 100,000 individuals signed the petition. Earlier this week, McCain blasted Trump for his insensitive comments toward the Gold Star father, but stopped short of rescinding his endorsement of him.
The two have publicly sparred since last summer, when Trump questioned McCain’s status as a combat veteran and war hero because he was captured by enemy forces in the Vietnam War. Veterans groups called the comments insulting to all prisoners of war, but Trump brushed off calls for an apology.
Follow @LeoShane
Leo Shane III covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He can be reached at [login to see] .
Veterans activists to McCain: Stand up to Trump
Posted from armytimes.comPosted in these groups: 
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Posted >1 y ago
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Typical liberal coercion for the MoveOn.org and the anti-Trump Vets vs Hate coalition to try to convince maverick, veteran, and former POW Sen John McCain to "to rescind his endorsement of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for a series of controversial statements" SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
Have we heard ant conservative veterans organizations pressuring Dakota Meyer or any of the retired flag officers who support Clinton to rescind their endorsement over her handling of Benghazi. After all she was the top government official on duty when Ambassador Stevens was killed by Islamic thugs along with three of his military veteran security team as the Obama administration was coordinating shipping arms from Libyan terrorists to Syrian terrorists in way that the weapons couldn't be clearly traced back to the us.
Have we heard ant conservative veterans organizations pressuring Dakota Meyer or any of the retired flag officers who support Clinton to rescind their endorsement over her handling of Benghazi. After all she was the top government official on duty when Ambassador Stevens was killed by Islamic thugs along with three of his military veteran security team as the Obama administration was coordinating shipping arms from Libyan terrorists to Syrian terrorists in way that the weapons couldn't be clearly traced back to the us.
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1stSgt Nelson Kerr
The Conservative Veterans organizations are doing all they can to retain members while supporting c chicken-hawk anti-military draft dodger like Trump. And at least one is attacking trump.
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