Fox’s Shep Smith calls out Trump for attacking ‘dead war hero’ John McCain
Fox News anchor Shepard Smith on Wednesday called out President Trump for continuing to attack late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), saying that instead of praising the economy, he’s chosen to go after a “dead war hero.”
“To hear it from Republicans, here’s what he can talk about,” Smith said on his Fox News program shortly after Trump denounced McCain while talking to workers at a tank factory in Lima, Ohio. “He can talk about the economy and the 71 percent of Americans, not Republicans, who believe the economy is doing great.”
“But that’s not what he’s doing. The president is fighting with a dead guy again today — a dead war hero,” Smith added before playing a clip from Trump’s speech, which was intended to highlight Ohio manufacturing.
Trump spent five minutes slamming McCain for issues such as his support for the Iraq War and his vote against a Republican effort to repeal ObamaCare in 2017.
“I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted, which as president I had to approve. I don’t care about this. I didn’t get ‘thank you.’ That’s OK,” Trump said at one point. “We sent him on the way, but I wasn’t a fan of John McCain.”
The criticism marked the fourth time in the last five days that Trump has singled out McCain, who died in August after a battle with brain cancer.
Smith appeared visibly shaken by Trump’s comments. Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano, who appeared om Smith’s program, condemned the remarks.
“I don’t think he scores points even with his strong Republican supporters when he does this,” Napolitano said. “Whether you agree with John McCain or disagree with his attitude about war, he was a great human being and a historic figure, and there’s no logical reason to make these arguments after he’s dead.”
“I wonder where the advice is coming from now,” Smith said, before mentioning McCain’s experience as a prisoner during the Vietnam War. “I don’t really know. Crazy.”
Smith has taken a critical view of Trump on many occasions over the last two years. For example, the longtime Fox News anchor fact-checked a number of claims the president made during a prime-time address on border security in January.
Trump on Sunday lashed out at Smith and two other Fox News broadcasters, Arthel Neville and Leland Vittert, suggesting that they should be working at CNN.
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