John Kerry, who knows something about having his war record attacked, savages Donald Trump
Kerry served in the US Senate with McCain for nearly 30 years before replacing Hillary Clinton as secretary of state near the start of President Barack Obama's second term.
"I have known John McCain for more than 30 years. We've had our share of disagreements and still do today. But one thing I know is beyond debate is that John McCain is a hero, a man of grit and guts and character personified," Kerry said in the statement.
"He served and bled and endured unspeakable acts of torture. His captors broke his bones, but they couldn't break his spirit, which is why he refused early release when he had the chance. That's heroism, pure and simple, and it is unimpeachable."
Kerry went on to blast Trump without mentioning his name.
"If anyone doesn't know that John McCain is a war hero, it only proves they know nothing about war and even less about heroism," Kerry said.
Earlier in the day during a forum in Iowa, the real-estate magnate Trump had questioned McCain's status as a "war hero." Trump, who has been in a war of words with McCain for much of the past week over his views on immigration, disparaged McCain for being "captured" during the Vietnam War.
"Perhaps he's a war hero, but right now, he's said bad things about a lot of people," Trump later added.
