McCain says Americans shouldn’t be arguing over Trump, Gold Star families
Oct 23, 2017, 11:35 AM | Updated: Mar 1, 2018, 3:41 pm
PHOENIX — U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said the national dialogue in America should not be focused on arguing over President Donald Trump and the families of fallen soldiers.
“We should not be fighting about a brave American who lost his life serving his country,” he said during an appearance on “The View” on Monday. “That should not be the topic of discussion in America today.”
McCain was referencing Trump’s conversation with the family of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in an ambush in Niger. The president said Johnson “knew what he signed up for,” a sentiment the family called disrespectful and politicians criticized.
Trump denied he said that and described his talk with Johnson’s family as a “very nice call.”
McCain said Americans should instead be focused on learning more about what the U.S. military is doing in Niger, including the type of operations being conducted.
He also said the White House should be doing more to inform Americans, including the Senate Armed Service Committee, which he chairs.
“One of the fights I’m having right now with the administration is the Armed Services Committee is not getting enough information and they deserve it because we represent their families,” he said.
Johnson and three other Special Forces troops were killed in the Oct. 4 ambush by militants linked to the Islamic State group near the Niger-Mali border.
ABC News reported that questions about the mission remain, such as why the Green Beret team may have been smaller than normal, if the elite troops were working alongside Nigerian troops or slightly apart and why it took days to recover Johnson’s remains.
U.S. forces first arrived in the west African nation in 2013 to help French soldiers combat terrorism.
About 800 U.S. troops were stationed in Niger, a vast majority of whom were working to build a drone base.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.