AP
July 21, 2015
The Republican establishment may hope this is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump's circus-like run for the presidency.
But
as the fallout intensifies after the billionaire businessman mocked
Sen. John McCain's war hero status, Trump's supporters are more excited
than ever about his chances.
"I
love to see them jump all over him 'cause they're just giving him a
clear road. I love it!" said Trump supporter Frank Candelieri, 89, from
Merrimack, N.H., of the
backlash his candidate faced in recent days.
Candelieri,
a World War II vet who said he won a Purple Heart fighting in the
Battle of the Bulge, said he wasn't offended by Trump's comments.
On
Saturday, the reality television star dismissed McCain's reputation as a
war hero because he was captured in Vietnam, saying he liked "people
who weren't captured."
McCain, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, spent more than five years
as a prisoner of war, enduring torture and refusing release ahead of
fellow captives.
The
remark sparked an avalanche of criticism that followed Trump throughout
the weekend and into Monday as veterans groups and many Republican
officials defended McCain.
"Anybody
who suggests that John and his fellow POWs are somehow lacking and
can't be called 'American hero,' you shouldn't be our
commander-in-chief," South Carolina Sen.
Lindsey Graham, a Republican presidential contender himself, said in
New York Monday.
The
response from different Republican corners highlights discord within
the GOP as the party grapples with a massive primary field.
Republican
leaders and other 2016 candidates have been frustrated by Trump's brash
campaign, which has often overshadowed their own in recent weeks. But
many Trump backers
in early-voting states argue the exchange is being overblown by the
media and his opponents, who fear his sudden rise in early polls. Even
many non-Trump supporters doubted the latest controversy would hurt his
appeal among a slice of the electorate that is
deeply frustrated with the Washington establishment and finds his
unvarnished persona refreshing.
"I
think it's going to improve his viability to be honest with you,"
argued Lou Gargiulo, one of Trump's county chairmen in New Hampshire.
"The more Mr. Trump is being
beaten on by people, obviously the better his polling numbers are."
While
McCain may seem to some like an unusual target, the Arizona senator is
deeply unpopular among many conservatives. Trump supporters say McCain
started the spat by
calling several thousand Trump supporters who attended a recent
anti-illegal immigration rally in Phoenix "crazies." Trump late Monday
softened his tone, albeit slightly, in an interview with Fox News:
"Certainly if there was a misunderstanding, I would totally
take that back," he said before calling on McCain to apologize to the
Arizona voters he insulted.
Republican
state Rep. Steve Stepanek, one of the first New Hampshire Republicans
to endorse Trump, said he continues to be a strong supporter and echoed
Trump's assertion
that McCain has not done enough to help veterans or fix the Department
of Veterans Affairs.
"He's a very influential person in the Senate and this should have been a top priority of his," Stepanek said.
In Iowa, Chris McAninch, 56 of Grimes, said the McCain comments have not changed his view of Trump as one of his top choices.
"I think he was fully in the right," McAninch said. "I want somebody who is straight shooting and tough for America."
Much
of Trump's appeal is based on his brand as a political outsider and
say-anything style, and backers acknowledge that what drives his appeal
is sometimes going to
get him into trouble.
The
Des Moines Register, the largest newspaper in early-voting Iowa,
published an editorial Monday night calling on Trump to drop out of the
race. "Trump has proven himself
not only unfit to hold office, but unfit to stand on the same stage as
his Republican opponents," the Register said.
In
South Carolina, Teresa Brown of Murrells Inlet said Trump "could have
worded it better" when addressing McCain's criticism. But the
24-year-old graphic designer described
Trump as an inspirational figure who draws conservatives and
disaffected voters eager for a candidate "who tells it like it is,"
rather than conventional politicians "who are always too worried about
offending people."
"He
resonates with me — good, bad and ugly," said Gene Ho, another Trump
backer from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, who works as a professional
photographer.
Craig
Williams, chair of the Carroll County Republicans in western Iowa, said
Trump appeared to be gaining traction in the state because of his
willingness to be direct.
"I've
talked to a lot of people who are pretty happy with things that he's
said. He's in a unique position to say what is on his mind," said
Williams, who also serves
on the Republican Party of Iowa State Central Committee and will remain
neutral.
Robert
Kiger, who launched a super PAC to support Trump, dismissed the
controversy surrounding the comments as out-of-control political
correctness.
"People
are really, really tired of the establishment, people are tired of
professional politicians who make huge promises, go to Washington and
then do absolutely nothing,"
he said.
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