back down from this slam at john mccain. this is cnn tonight, i'm don lemon. donald trump's no apologies tour rolling on tonight after this comment about john mccain. >> he is a war hero because he was captured. i like people that weren't captured. >> if you think this is the end for the mogul who wants to be your next president don't be so sure. he is a front-runner in a new national poll. is donald trump telling voters exactly what they want to hear or crossing a line with his tough talk. >>> plus two war heros who were in prison with john mccain in vietnam. >>. >>> let's get to donald trump. a major newspaper in a key state calls for him to drop out of the race. briana keiler joins me now with more. good evening. trump had the media blitz today since he made those controversial remarks about john mccain. the de mean register is saying he should drop out of the case calls him quote a believiating sideshow. is trump backing down or digging in? he probably doesn't care what the newspaper has to say. >> he is really digging in. he has been trying to explain his beef with john mc

suggests that mccain is only a war hero because he was captured. let's go to high rank in the navy. trump was speaking at a gathering on saturday of conservatives. >> he was a war hero because he was captured. >> he tried to clean up his comments at first with reporters. >> if a person's captured they're a hero. >> reporter: and on twitter, all soldiers are heroes. that did not stop the deluge of republicans. most wanting to top the gop field. >> it is not just absurd it is offensive. i think it is a disqualifier. >> donald trump owes every american veteran and in particular john mccain an apology. >> even the republican national committee said there is no place in our party or our country for trump's comments. trump's words only escalate an ongoing feud with mccain over illegal immigration. mccain accused trump of rallying at events in mccain's stuff state of arizona. in the op-ed, trump said mccain would rather attack the iraqi border than arizona. >> trump continues to talk about how much he's done for money. veterans groups are not buying it. a commander says someone who never

. thank you for joining us, mr. trump do you owe john mccain an apology? >> no, not at all. if you look at cheryl at theon's report last night, it was fine. she thought that the press was covering me fairly unfairly and she stated that. i republican her as a reporter. i got a stand ovation, the biggest ovation they had all weekend. it was wonderful to see. nobody was insulted. what happened is, later on, the republican candidates, some of whom are registering 1%, they're extremely upset and they're extremely upset when the nevada numbers came out, too. >> mr. trump, let's go back to this issue of john mccain and you're talking about the cheryl atkinson, you said, he's war hero he was captured, perhaps, he's a war hero. a short bio of john mccain, he was shot down in 1967 on his 23rd bombing mission over north vietnam, he fractured both legs and an arm and nearly drowned when he parachuted into a lake. his shoulder was crushed. he was beaten, tortured and interrogated. the north vietnamese offered him early release for propaganda purposes, he refused until every man was taken. you d

you. here is john mccain himself talking about the time he spent as a prisoner of war when he joined me on "hardball" the college tour. >> the real privilege of my life was not that dark moment but to have the opportunity and privilege of serving in the company of heroes, the reason why i made it is because of the encouragement, help, love and compassion of the men i was imprisoned with. >> kathleen parker is a prize columnist and you reed is national correspondent up, there she is up in new york with msnbc. mr. trump lapped the field for the nomination in a new today abc news poll released late today trump has surged into the lead in this contest with 24%, nearly twice as much as the nearest rival and jeb bush is further down. the biggest lead of any candidate in the polling and here is the rub, the poll was taken before trump's comments on sad about mccain and they note his support fell sharply on the one night when voters were surveyed after his remarks. howard, what do you make of that? has he crested because of this comment about mccain not really being a war hero? >> if he has,

apologize to john mccain for his war hero insult. now trump is blaming the media and his rivals. mccain is answering trump. >>> bill cosby used drugs to seduce women. this time that's not an allegation but an admission straight from bill cosby's mouth. do these revelations about his sexual encounters then impact the legal cases against him now? >>> and just in, we're getting word that writings have been discovered showing the chattanooga shooter was not only suicidal but also angry at the united states. does this help investigators get any closer to a motive? >>> hello, everyone. i'm kate bolduan. john is off today. in case you needed reminding, senator john mccain is not running for president this cycle, but he is suddenly an unwitting lightning rod in the race it seems. donald trump today is refusing to back down from comments he made over the weekend about the arizona senator and former prisoner of war. here is how it began. to give you the full briefing of it. pollster frank luntz was asking trump about his other controversial comments that he made about illegal immigrants.

senator john mccain's vietnam war record that portion could say a lot. digging deeper on that and the trump details. she joins us now. >> a big number. a huge lead for donald trump at 24 points. but take note this was a poll that was conducted before and after trump made these comments about john mccain. and when you look at the final night of polling, after he made these remarks, you see a sharp dip in the polls. >> donald trump touching off a political firestorm this weekend by insulting former republican presidential nominee john mccain. >> i supported him. he lost. he let us down. but he lost. so i never liked him as much after that. because i don't like losers. but, frankly. let me get to it. he is a war he roefltro. he is a war hero because he was captured. i like people who weren't captured. he is a war hero because he was captured. okay. you can have i believe, perhaps he is a war hero. but right now he said some very bad thangzings about a lot of people. >> almost immediately. trump's remarks grew scrutiny. >> mccain, a navy pilot during the vietnam war was shot down held

john mccain heats up as the billionaire strikes a sensitive subject. >>> southern california gets whacked with much-needed rain. the deluge is devastating. >>> bill cosby's own admission concerning drugs, hush money and sexual assault allegations. >>> and the biggest teal will make the world's military contractor even bigger. >>> thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. >>> a pro surfer comes head-to-head with a shark on live television. australian mick fanning was in the water when a shark attacked and pulled him under. kelly cobiella has more. >> reporter: the world surfing final was just getting under way. mick fanning was waiting for a wave. then this. >> you can see a little splash. oh! holy [ bleep ]! >> a shark knocks fanning off his board, pulling him under. competitor julian wilson frantically paddles towards him. then fanning emerges and swims for his life. within seconds both men are safely out of the water. >> you get a couple of punches in? >> i punched it in the back. >> reporter: back on shore -- >> i just saw it like taking my board away and just cracked it. >> rep

out swinging in an opinion piece he wrote in "usa today" saying and i'm quoting him now "mccain has abandoned our veterans, i will fight for them. the rhealeality is john mccain the politician has made america less safe sent our brave soldiers into wrong headed foreign adventures and has spent most of his time in the senate pushing amnesty. trump continued "he would rather protect the iraqi border than arizona's." this morning is the republican presidential candidate was interviewed on nbc's toadhe "today" show he vehemently criticized the news media for characterization of his comments. >> let me ask you this donald would you say to john mccain's face what you said? that one comment, i'm using the one string of sentences together "he's not a war hero. he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people that weren't captured." would you say that to john mccain's face? >> no and that's what you don't do if you go on -- >> i'm saying -- >> excuse me, the next sentence was "he is a war hero." i said that they never want to play it but you want to play. >> it why would you say in the

saying the reality, john mccain the politician made america less safe and mccain abandoned our veterans i will fight for them. he sparked a fast and furious backlash over the weekend, taking aim at mccain. he wears the scars of five years being a prisoner after his plane was shot down. >> admiral john mccain. turning down early release because of his father's high ranking in the navy. >> he's a war hero because he was captured. >> he tried to clean up comments. >> if a person is captured they are a hero. >> on twitter, captured or not, all soldiers are heroes. that didn't stop the disgust from republicans, most who hope to knock the real estate mogul from the top of the gop presidential field. >> i's a disqualifier of commander in chief. >> donald trump owes every american veteran and in particular john mccain an apology ji. >> reporter: the republican national committee said there's no place in our party for trump's comments. his words escalated on ongoing feud with john mccain over immigration. in his new op-ed, trump said mccain would rather attack the iraqi border than arizona's. >>

when he was in iowa on saturday and scuffed at the idea that john mccain is a war hero. this is the key now. the pollster that took that poll, they say when they called voters in iowa on sunday, right after trump said all that he said about john mccain, there was no drop-off in his support that they could find there was no immediate backlash against trump. at least not in iowa. at least not in that poll. in that finding, the fact that there was no backlash that surprised a lot of people today. how about this poll? this is a second poll out today. "the washington post"/abc news poll came out this afternoon. a national poll. not just iowa. this is the best poll yet for donald trump. he's in first place. 24% of the vote. almost doubling up scott walker who is back in second place at just 13%. now that poll, that abc/"the washington post" poll comes with fine print. it was taken over the weekend but in this poll there was a drop-off in donald trump support on sunday, the day after he tore into john mccain. this is what we're trying to figure out right now. is donald trump going to pay a

is refusing to apologize for remarks over the weekend about republican senator john mccain. they have seriously policy differences over issues like immigration and senator mccain criticized the trump rally in mccain's home state. so frank luntz interview, donald trump feared back. it's a lengthy exchange and we want to play you this whole thing so you can hear in the entirety what donald trump says. here you go. >> referring to people as rapists, referring to people -- john mccain a war hero 5 1/2 years of a p.o.w. and you call him a dummy. is that a prop pree ate inappropriate in running for president? >> you have to let me speak. you interrupt. i know him too well. that's the problem. i'm in phoenix in. we have a meeting that is going to have 500 people at the hotel. we get a call from the hotel, it's turmoil. thousands and thousands of people are showing up three and four days before. they are pitching tents on the hotel grass. the hotel said we can't handle this. we move it to the convention center. we have 15,000 people the biggest one of bigger than bernie sanders. 15,000 p

to back down after saying senator john mccain is not a war hero. this morning abc's martha raddatz asked trump about his comments and he remained defiant. >> do you owe john mccain an apology >> no, not at all. if you look at cheryl atkinson's report last night four times perfectly i said whatever it was and it was absolutely fine and she thought the press was covering me unfairly. she stated that strongly and i respect her as a reporter and somebody that a lot of other people respect also. very importantly i got a standing ovation, the biggest ovation i've had by far. when i threat room it was a total standing ovation. wonderful to see. no one was insulted. what happened later on the republican candidates some of whom are registering 1% and zero and very upset that i'm leading the polls by actually a nice margin. they are extremely upset and they were extremely upset when the nevada numbers just came out and they are through the roof too. >> there seems to be a pattern mr. trump when you're criticized or attacked you respond by name calling. you even demean some people's physical

against senator john mccain in a new op-ed from the donald released overnight. >>> breaking overnight. new information about the attack that left five people dead in tennessee. cnn taking you to the middle east village speaking with the gunman's relatives. >>> the nuke deal with iran. the u.n. voting today. it is not sitting well with everyone. >>> good morning. welcome to "early start." i'm christine romans. it is monday july 20th. breaking overnight, donald trump escalating criticism of senator john mccain. the candidate is the target of criticism for saying john mccain is not a war hero. now in an op-ed, trump blames mccain for covering up the v.a. scandal and said he has made america less safe. trump tear noosess into the other republican candidates. he writes a number of my competitors have no business running for candidate. many are failed politicians or people who would be unable to succeed in the private sector. national correspondent sunlen serfaty has more from the white house. >> reporter: good morning, christine. donald trump is not backing down from his comments. he has b

>>> donald trump digs in a new op-ed of his criticism of john mccain and lashing back at critics. . new information about the gunman who murdered four marines in tennessee. >>> and the nuclear deal with iran put to a vote on the world stage. it is not sitting well with everyone. we are live with the obama administration has an uphill battle to sell the deal. >>> good morning. welcome to "early start." i'm christine romans. it is 4:00 a.m. in the east. john berman has the morning off. breaking overnight, donald trump has more of his criticism of john mccain. already on the hot seat saying mccain is not a war hero. now trump blames mccain for covering up the v.a. hospital scandal and said he made america less safe and sent our soldiers into wrong wars. he writes a number of my competitors for the nomination have no business running for president. i do not need to be lectured by any of them. many are failed politicians or unable to succeed in the private sector. cnn's sunlen serfaty has more from the white house. >> donald trump is digging in moreovering no apologies and refusing ca

presidential candidate donald trump is taking heat after comments he made about senator john mccain. >> reporter: in iowa donald trump rebuked john mccain for calling some trump supporters crazies. then trump turned his sharp tongue on mccain's reputation. >> he's not a war hero. he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people that weren't captured. >> you hear that? >> he's a war hero because he was captured. >> reporter: john mccain was a prisoner of war for more than five years subjected to crippling torture. >> donald trump owes every american veteran and in particular john mccain an apology. >> reporter: trump's republican rivals were quick. >> john mccain is an american hero and i will denounce anyone who speaks ill of someone who has been a prisoner of war. >> reporter: jeb bush without naming trump saying enough with the slander s attacks. lindsey graham calling it a stupid statement that disqualifies trump as commander in chief and saying there is no place in our party or our country for comments that disparage those who served honorbly. and mccain's daughter tweeted

senator john mccain and his status as a war hero. listen. >> he's not a war hero. >> five and a half years -- >> he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people that weren't captured. i hate to tell you. he's a war hero because he was captured. okay? >> he got mixed reaction from the crowd there. you could hear some boos even in the crowd. trump quickly backtracked on twitter following this event, saying captured or not, all soldiers are heroes. i have a proven track record supporting our veterans. veterans deserve universal access to care. v.a. scandal proves politicians are inept. joining us now, cnn politics executive editor mark preston. cnn political analyst ben ferguson and senior washington correspondent jeff zeleny. mark let's start with you. we saw trump surge in the polls after he made comments criticizing mexican immigrants calling them rapists. has he gone too far with this comment? >> you have to ask yourself has the donald trump schtik run its course. today with these comments about john mccain, it very well might have. i have to tell you, while there was some ap

mccain versus donald trump. trump made controversial comments about the senator being a war hero. trump told matt lauer that nothing had he said over the weekend about mccain's war record and his preference for soldiers who weren't captured was inappropriate. meanwhile, senator mccain appeared today on "morning joe" saying he's not the one trump needs to apologize to. here's trump this morning followed by senator mccain. >> i said, very clearly, he is a war hero. i have absolutely no problem with that. what i do have problems with is that he called 15,000 people that showed up for me to speak in phoenix. he called them crazies because they want to stop illegal immigration and then they were insulted. >> does donald trump owe you an apology? >> no, i don't think so but i think he mayo an apology to the families of those who have sacrificed in conflict and those who have undergone the prison experience in serving their country. >> republican candidates have condemned trump's remarks, which were made saturday at a forum on family leadership in iowa. here's an excerpt of what trump h

hostilities. >>> plus hero complex? donald trump and john mccain. >> that's what you don't do. >> i said i'm using one exchange. >> you're the media and you do the same thing. the next sentence was e he is a war hero. i said that but they never want to play that. >> while mccain responds for the first time exclusively on "morning joe." >> does donald trump owe you an apology? >> no, i don't think so but he mayo an apology to the families of those who have sacrificed in conflict and those who have under undergone the prison experience. >> and we will fact check trump's claims about what he did during the vietnam war. >>> good day, everyone i'm andrea mitchell. we have havana weather here in washington. history has been made. behind me is the cuban flag raised just within the hour flying proudly in the u.s. capitol after century of hostilities. secretary kerry will travel on havana on august 14th to raise the u.s. flag there. diplomatic relations will be established after secret back channel talks held partly by pope francis and the vatican. one of the negotiators none other than verm

senator john mccain's war record it does show a big dropoff. will hatthat hold? we don't know. a piece of a poll in itself a snapshot of a moment. overall the poll is very good. that number overall number is very good news for donald trump. it could also be the first sign that people may be taking issue with what he said at a candidate forum saturday. will it last? we don't know. this is what he said. >> referring to people as rapists, referring to john mccain, a war hero 5 1/2 years as a pow, you call him a dummy. is that appropriate in running for president? >> let's, let me speak, frank. you interrupt all the time okay. i know him too well. that's the problem. let's take john mccain. i'm in phoenix. we have a meeting that is going to have 500 people. at the biltmore hotel. we get a call from the hotel. it is turmoil. thousands of people are showing up. three, four days before they're pitching tents on the hotel grass. the hotel says we can't handle this. it is going to destroy the hotel. we move it to the convention center. we have 15,000 people. the biggest one ever. bigger than berni

to senator john mccain himself. we have the editor of bloom politics john heilemann and nbc political analyst and professor at the university school of public polly, harold ford jr. >> good morning. >> in london we have washington anchor for bbc world news america katy kay. and on capitol hill "new york times" reporter jeremy peters. we'll start right there. donald trump not apologizing. it was the buzz of the political world over the weekend. if you haven't heard the comments yet, here's what he said at a summit for voters in iowa. >> john mccain goes oh, boy, trump makes my life difficult. he had 15,000 crazies show up. crazies. he called them all crazy. these people if you would have seen these people i know what a crazy s i know all about crazies. so he insulted me and everybody in that room. somebody should run against john mccain who has been in my opinion not so hot. i supported him for president. i supported him. he lost. he let us down. you know, he lost. i never liked him as much after. that i don't like losers. he's a war hero. he's a war hero because he was captured. i lik

, everyone. "the five." talk about being captured. >> john mccain goes oh boy, trump makes my life difficult. he had 15,000 crazies show up. he called them all crazy. he's not a war hero. he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people that weren't captured. >> now maybe this is trash talk between rivals. it could be, but even trump knew he crossed the line. it's why he repeated hero four times after, but donald is not to blame for being donald. in reality critics beat both. his repeat defenders always paint trump's gaffes as blunt honesty, which turns them into bill maher's audience. they left stuff slide. when you perceive criticism as disloyalty you turn fans into minions, but criticism is your guardrail. embrace it and you avoid these petty feuds and nasty gaffes. trump may have slayed the self-serving denigrations found amongst republicans once and for all. the guy helped elect democrats and he gave to the clintons. when you see righties defending jokes about p.o.w.s, it says this game of conservative issues is i'm more conservative than you. we embraced him, exposing t

because he was captured. okay? john: donald trump is questioning senator john mccain's war record. senator mccain is a former navy pilot who is shot down over hanoi north vietnam in october of 1967. then lieutenant commander mccain was tortured for five and a half years. now, mr. trauma season is catching fire for -- trump is catching fire for his comments. here is senator marco rubio. >> it is offense eastbound and ridiculous and i do think it is a disqualifier as commander this chief. john: g.o.p. presidential hopeful rick prosecutorry called trumps comments "a toxic mix of demagoguery and nonsense". revealing "the cancer of trumpism". trump attacked perry in kind. >> he put glasses on so people will think he is smart. laugh. >> and it just doesn't work. people can see through glasses. john: now mr. trump has established a hotline. 855-dets-352 for veterans to offer suggestions on reforming the veteran's affairs administration. mr. trump pledged that if elected president he will talk care of veteran complaints "quickly and efficiently like a world class businessman can do what a

saying john mccain is not a war hero. >>> so grateful to have your company. >>> we're starting this morning with these new revelations in the bill cosby saga from cosby himself. this comedy legend reveals in his own words how he pursued younger women for sexual relationships all while trying to keep it all a secret from his wife. >> this new information coming from the new york sometimes after it obtained the full transcript from a deposition given decades ago. the times reports that cosby admitted to sexual relationships with at least five women. jean casarez joins us live from new york. cosby saying that the sex and drug taking were consensual. you've read through it. what strikes you most? >> reporter: cnn does not have the deposition. but the "new york times" have told cnn they have it. what we do know is that bill cosby is very descriptive, really particular in his words talking about that at least five women that he had sexual, playful relationships with, all behind his wife's back. he also said it was all consensual, every single bit of it, that he had an eye for when a woman

igniting a political fire storm after these comments about senator john mccain. >> he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people that weren't captured i hate to tell you. >> republican rivals now calling for him to end his campaign. is this trump tipping point? >>> and family of the chattanooga shooter breaking silence this morning. his father saying he was battling depression. is that an excuse for killing five people? we report you decide. >>> no good deed goes unpunished. this 77-year-old toll worker paid a toll of someone short on cash. he was fired. was that fair? let us know. "fox & friends" begins now. ♪ ♪ >>> hey everybody. good morning from the heart of new york city. >> so many kids going to camp this morning. canoeing fire making, all heading out. >> how about studying hacking? >> it's the new face of camps for the summer. nsa hacking camp. would you go to that. >> doesn't sound like the fashion camp or cheer leading camp. >>> big political news if you're just waking up coming back from a foreign country, you may not know the donald trump campaign is in a go

comment tonight. >>> the o'reilly factor is on tonight: >> i'm not a fasten john mccain. he has done a terrible job for the vets. >> i think he mayo an apology to the families of those who may have sacrificed in conflict. >> the republican party under pressure over comments by donald trump. tonight, mr. trump will be on the factor. >> mccain has that old story, war hero that got captured. i don't want to vote for nobody that got captured. >> did donald trump take his cue from chris rock in criticizing john mccain's captivity in vietnam? brit hume has some thoughts. >> what is the thing that you like the most about america? >> the system is so good. >> you have never been on the long island railroad. >> watters talking to foreclosurers whether they like the u.s.a. >> good view from here on on. >> no kidding. >> caution, you are about to enter the no spin zone. the factor begins right now. ♪ ♪ >>> hi, i'm bill o'reilly. thanks for watching us tonight. we will have the talking points memo a bit later on first an interview with donald trump. as you may know mr. trump has caused

line. donald trump declaring john mccain was not a war hero. >>> terror in tennessee. memorials for the victims as another service member dies. plus, new details on the background of the shooter. >>> out of control. the e destruction in california a as fires burned thousands of acres destroying homes and vehicles and forcing hundreds of campers to evacuate. >>> protecting your family from the disease spread by a tiny predator. why we are seeing more and more infections. >>> and second act. some of the biggest stars making las vegas hot again, and the fans are following. "nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news." reporting tonight, thomas roberts. >>> good evening. we start tonight with donald trump. gop presidential contenders latest remarks in iowa about senator john mccain's military record landed trump in the political crosshairs. he said mccain is not a war hero. so far trump operates with a no apology, no guts, no glory approach. he announced his presidential ambitions with what some consider incendiary rhetoric on i

. john mccain is a war hero. >> he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people that weren't captured, okay. >> will trump's surge in the polls continue or might this latest outburst prove what critics have said from the get-go? >> we have to be big and bold, not divisive and angry. >> plus hillary clinton stages her first real town hall. >> for the first time all five democrats running share the same stage. inside politics, the biggest stories sourced by the best reporters, now. welcome to "inside politics," i'm john king. thanks for sharing your sunday morning with us to share the reporting and your insights the atlantic's molly ball. cnn's mj lee. ed o'keefe of "the washington post" and jackmy kucinich of the daily beast. the donald is at the center of another storm. mr. trump received five deferments to avoid the vietnam war. five. and he somehow sees himself qualified to question john mccain's heroism. >> you know, he lost. so i never liked him as much after that because i don't like losers. frankly -- >> he's a war hero. >> he's not a war hero. he is a war hero because

economy spat. donald trump -- over the weekend, mark asked trump about his suggestion that john mccain is no war hero and whether trump might be his own worst enemy. mark: do you think your campaign could be hurt as past candidates have been by the things you say? >> all i can do is be me. i have to be me. if i'm not me, i'm not being true. i'm a very honest person. i have to be who i am. people like what i say. mark: you are picking fights with people like john mccain. mr. trump: i'm not picking fights with people. john mccain picked a fight with me. john: we have had a rare moment of bipartisan unity on this issue. from the left to the far right everyone is rallying around john mccain and trashing donald trump. my question is, in the end, will trump survive? will he may be thrive, or will he take a dive? mark: we are waiting for some polling to find out. i don't know the answer to this one, except i will say, someone who liked trump before this, i can't imagine this is what is going to turn them off. with all the outrageous things including the birther movement it doesn't seem to me

questioning the heroism of arizona senator john mccain, a vietnam war pow. the largest newspaper in early voting iowa is now calling for trump to drop out of the presidential race. the des moines registrar said trump is not fit to hold office and not fit to stand on the same stage as his opponents. trump won't apologize, but in an interview he did tone down his rhetoric. >> certainly if there was a misunderstanding i would totally take that back. but hopefully i said it correctly and certainly shortly thereafter i said it it correctly. i would like him, however, to do something with the 15,000 people that were in phoenix about illegal immigration. thisy are being december mated. these people are ding december december -- decimated and i would like to see him doing a better job taking care of the veterans. >> texas authorities released a video the night a young black woman was found hanged in her cell. relatives question the circumstances surrounding the death. this video mesa port police claims that no one approached her cell for at least 90 minutes before her body was found. bland was ar

more about john mccain moments ago he tried to clarify his controversial remarks that john mccain is only a war hero because he's captured. >> senator mccain is breaking his silence this morning. cnn senior congressional correspondent is live in washington with all the latest developments. it's been an active morning. >> it has. and donald trump not only is he -- has he taken off the gloves going after john mccain he's doing it en more so against the media insisting that part of the backlash is because his comments were taken out of context. context. >> he is a war hero. i said that but they never want to play it. you don't want to play it. excuse me -- why -- >> why would you say it in the first place? >> savannah started it off saying i said he wasn't a hero. if you let it run you would hear me say he's a war hero. he called 15,000 people that showed up for me to speak in phoenix. he called them crazies because they want to stop illegal immigration. i do have a problem with what he's doing on the border. he's terrible. and i do have a problem with the fact with the illegal immig

up the 2016 race his new comments about vietnam veteran john mccain's war record sparking a bipartisan backlash. donald trump will join us live momentarily. first, abc's cecilia vega on the new uproar. >> reporter: donald trump is at it again, unleashing his latest political firestorm on a new target this time john mccain. >> he's not a war hero. >> reporter: trump in iowa going directly after the arizona senator and former navy fighter pilot who spent 5 1/2 years as a p.o.w. during the vietnam war. >> he's a war hero because he was captured. >> reporter: and the reaction from fellow republicans fast and fierce nearly every gop challenger running for the white house firing back. >> when it comes to attacking an american hero i'm going to call it out. >> i was highly offended what donald trump said about john mccain and his years of sacrifice. >> reporter: democrats pouncing too. >> there is nothing funny about the hate he is spewing. the insults he directed a genuine war hero. >> reporter: senator mccain so far staying silent. but his daughter took to twitter, saying she's h

lectured. donald trump not backing down from his verbal assault on john mccain. >> he's not a war hero. he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people that weren't captured okay? >> and this morning, the brand-new trump op-ed. what is he saying now? >>> meanwhile, five service members killed by an islamic extremist in cold blood but the president hat not ordered the u.s. flag to be flown at half staff. why not? we report what you know. you decide. >> they did it for ft. hood. a pro surfer one of the best attacked by a shark. does he live on live tv? up next hear from that surfer and how he managed to fight for his life. and keeping in mind mornings are always better with friends. ♪ ♪ >>> we're not in center field, actually we are at yankee stadium if you missed our fox fan weekend, thousands did come to yankee stadium in the bronx, there is the entire kilmeade clan and in the back is brian cashman, the general manager of the yankees. >> it is an all brian zone and you got elisabeth and ainsley and something they do at the yankees, they do the ymca. as you can see i'm caught

is going after senator john mccain. questioning if this veteran is, in fact, a war hero. could this new attack sink his campaign for the white house? >>> and it was a testimony that bill cosby never wanted to be public. but it is now. court documents describing his sexual pursuits, the prescription drugs, and keeping it under wraps from his wife. we have the shocking testimony for you. >>> do want to wish you a good morning, and say we are so grateful to have you as always. i'm christi paul. >> always good to be with you i'm victor blackwell. donald trump is igniting another firestorm. listen. >> it hit me he's not a war hero. he is a war hero. he's a war hero because he was captured. >> he then went on to say that i like people who weren't captured. in the fallout from those comments continues for the 2016 presidential candidate. check out the front page of "the new york post" this morning. headlines, don voyage. >> meanwhile, white house hopefuls on both sides of the aisle are condemning trump's remarks, and the republican national committee has gone so far as to say that his comm

senator mccain is not a war hero. >> i'm very disappointed in john mccain-- >> unapologetic. a defiant donald trump refusing to take back disparaging comments he made about senator john mccain's war record. >> do you owe john mccain an apology? >> no, not at all. >> the firestorm erupted saturday at a republican forum in iowa. after the reality tv star turned gop presidential hopeful questions senator mccain's status as a war worry hero. >> he's not a war hero. he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people who weren't captured, i hate to say. he's a war hero because he was capture. >> his plane was shot down over north vietnam in 1967. during his five and a half years as a prisoner of war mccain endureed bouts of torture but refused early release to show solidarity with other american pows. >> donald trump owes every veteran, and in particular john mccain an apology. >> john mccain is an american hero. >> mccain's friends senator lindsey graham said trump's comments all but disqualified him to to become president. >> democratic presidential hopeful hillary clinton also spoke o

apologize for john mccain's status as a war hero. tonight what mccain is telling us as trump's republican rivals pounce. >>> a new era begins for once bitter enemies. the cuban flag rises in washington. and the u.s. embassy reopens in havana after more than 50 years. we're there live. >>> on alert. the military orders stepped-up security at recruiting centers after that deadly rampage in chattanooga. as we learn disturbing new details about the gunman's final hours. >>> and to the rescue. as whiplash weather triggers raging fires, then floods a powerful storm smashes records. and why forecasters fear for what's in store. "nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york this is "nbc nightly news with lester holt." >>> good evening. no backing down today by gop presidential contender donald trump whose unfiltered and blunt talk has again ignited controversy. the latest came over the weekend when trump said vietnam war veteran and former p.o.w. senator john mccain is not a war hero. and while the comments like those trump made about illeg

register" writes he has an attempt to demonize immigrants and assertion of mccain not a war hero, he is not only unfit to hold office but unfit to stand on the stage with republican opponents. this as trump pulls to the head of the washington post poll with 24% of the republican voters. trump has twice the support of his nearest rival scott walker. a plunge in support for the billionaire on the last day pollsters were making calls, which was the first day the mccain controversy was in the news. adding new fire to the criticism of him. here is lindsey graham speaking. >> that he's a jack ass. that he's bringing his name down and he's not helping the process and he shouldn't be commander in chief. if you want to be commander in chief of the armed forces you need to understand that john mccain and all like him, not just john are truly american heroes. >> i know john mccain is a hero and serves with distinction. mr. trump should reappraise his thoughts on the subject. the guy was in the p.o.w. camp for five years and could have gotten out early, but wanted to stay to show respect for the

>>> happening now in the "newsroom," donald trump's new target john mccain. >> he's not a war hero. >> 5 1/2 years -- >> he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people who weren't captured. >> no apologies no, backing down but has trump gone too far? >>> also bill cosby describes under oath how he seduced women, the drugs, the hush money, the promise of fame. cosby claiming he's a pretty decent reader of people. ahead, reaction from cosby accuser janice dickinson. >> i keep reliving the same sick feeling in my soul. >>> plus inside the mind of a killer. the parents of the chattanooga shooter speak out saying their son was depressed and medicated. what it means for the investigation as five military families grieve. >> with everything going on, he wanted to help out, and being in the marine corps is where he thought he could do the most good. >> let's talk live in the cnn "newsroom." >>> and good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for joining me. a defiant donald trump makes no apologies after igniting a political firestorm. for the very first time the target of

mccain. not a war hero. cover story. back to your calls on america's prison population. is it time to ease mandatory minimums? caller: good morning. i've got experience with the system. i never committed any crime. i had a boyfriend that i already had a restraining order on him. he came into my house. he got into my house and long story short, i shot him. i did not want him in there. he was not supposed to be there any can desperately violent when he was drinking. i spent 12 years and four months -- nine months for that 15-year-old sentence. host: take a step back. when did this happen? caller: this habit in 1999. host: did you kill him? caller: i did. host: how many times did you shoot him? caller: once. apparently i shot him on the right side of the chest with his rifle that he is gotten out. -- had gotten out. i shot him once in the chest. host: did you have proper defense in your case? caller: well, i had an appointed attorney. i admitted to doing it. it was not like -- i admitted doing it. he was not supposed to be in my house. i had trouble with him before. they had taken into j

for senator mccain. >> he's not criticizing the war service, but came closer than before. >> i supported him and raised money for his campaign against president obama. certainly, if there was a misunderstanding, i would totally take that back. hopefully i said it correctly. >> reporter: even for the bombastic trump, who craves controversy, the bipartisan backlash from the weekend remarks about mccain's five years as a prisoner of war in vietnam is intense. >> he's not a war hero. he's a war hero that was captured. i like people that weren't captured. right now, he said bad things about a lot of people. >> reporter: the polls show trump isn't just leading the gop, but leading big at 24% with second place scott walker and third jeb bush trailing by double digits. the same survey may signal trouble for trump. 23% on three consecutive nights. on sunday after the controversial comments support dipped. mccain is determined to take the high road. mccain's son, jack, a fourth generation naval officer, currently on active duty didn't hold back about what he thinks. >> my father is a pub

trump has criticized the vietnam war service of senator john mccain. here is the exchange from yesterday in full. let's listen. >> john mccain goes oh, boy, trump makes my life difficult. he had 15,000 crazies show up. crazies. he called them all crazy. i said they weren't crazy. they were great americans. these people -- if you were to have seen these people -- i know what a crazy is. aye know all about craziys. these weren't crazies. he insulted me and everybody in that room. i said somebody should run against john mccain who has been, in my opinion, not so hot. and i supported him. i supported him for president. i raised $1 million for him. that's a lot of money. he lost. he let us down. he lost. i never liked him as much aafter that because i don't like losers, but, frank, frank, let me get to it. >> he's a war hero. >> is he not a war hero. he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people who weren't captured, okay? i hate to tell you. he's a war hero because he was captured, okay? you can have -- i believe perhaps he's a war hero but right now he said some very bad things abo

mccain and his sacrifices were the country. the remarks that triggered the firestorm. >> john mccain says something makes me life difficult. he had 15,000 crazies show up. he called them all crazy. he is not a war hero. he is a war hero because he was captured. i like people who were not captured. he is a war hero because he was captured. >> donald's choice of words getting immediate, fiery reaction from the fellow gop candidates with all of them condemning his remarks and some saying it disequalifies him as a candidate. >> until mr. trump apologizes directly to john mccain and the veterans of the country i don't think he has the character or temperment to hold the highest position. >> it is absurd and i think a disqualifying comp. >> if you want to be commander and chief and you are serious about that job, the last thing you would ever do is say anything that would show disrespect for anybody who served. >> in response to the blow balk back trump is lashing out at the fellow gop hopefuls calling them failed politicians and on the today show trump taking issues with the media reporti