AMES, Iowa -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump slammed Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a decorated Vietnam War veteran, on Saturday by saying McCain was not a war hero because he was captured by the North Vietnamese.
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"He's not a war hero," Trump said. Sarcastically, he said, "He's a war hero because he was captured." Then he added, "I like people that weren't captured."
Trump's comments came during his appearance at the Family Leadership Summit, a day-long gathering of about 3,000 social conservative activists that drew other Republican presidential candidates.
A businessman and reality-TV star, Trump has surged to the top of polls in the GOP race, in part because of his inflammatory comments about illegal immigrants from Mexico.
His condemnation of McCain drew swift and sharp criticism from other Republicans candidates scheduled to speak at the Iowa event.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Trump was "unfit" to serve as president and should "immediately withdraw" from the race.
"Donald Trump should apologize immediately for attacking Senator McCain and all veterans who have protected and served our country," Perry said in a statement. "As a veteran and an American, I respect Sen. McCain because he volunteered to serve his country. I cannot say the same of Mr. Trump. His comments have reached a new low in American politics. His attack on veterans make him unfit to be Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, and he should immediately withdraw from the race for President."
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, campaigning in western Iowa, denounced Trump's remarks and said McCain is "undoubtedly an American hero." Walker previously has refused to speak ill of Trump over his immigration comments.
"He needs to apologize to Sen. McCain and all the other men and women who have worn the uniform," Walker told reporters after a campaign stop in Sioux City. "It's just a disgrace."
Jeb Bush, who didn't attend the Iowa event, also chimed in. "Enough with the slanderous attacks. SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans - particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration," the former Florida governor said in a Twitter post.
Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, echoed those sentiments in statement.
"John McCain is an American hero. When our troops return from combat, they should be treated with the utmost respect and admiration," he said. "Every breath I breathe and every step I take is free because of brave Americans like John McCain."
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who has been a defender of Trump's remarks about immigrants, refused to condemn Trump over his comments about McCain.
Cruz said that he considers McCain a friend and "an American war hero" and that it is an honor to serve with him in the Senate. But he said he would not criticize another Republican candidate, including Trump.
From the Democratic side, Hillary Rodham Clinton not only harshly criticized Trump during a campaign event in Arkansas, but she also accused the GOP field of being slow to repudiate Trump's other contentious statements.
And Secretary of State John Kerry, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, said in a statement that anyone who doesn't know that McCain is a war hero only proves that he knows nothing about war and even less about heroism.
For the past few days, Trump has been publicly feuding with McCain, the GOP's 2008 presidential nominee. McCain said Trump had drawn out "crazies" with his immigration-focused rally in Phoenix last weekend, and Trump responded by calling McCain a "dummy" for finishing at the bottom of his class at the U.S. Naval Academy.
In a news conference after his remarks, Trump refused to apologize for his attack on McCain's war service and accused McCain of doing little to help veterans in the Senate.
"The veterans in this country are suffering," Trump told reporters. "The veterans in this country are treated as third-class citizens. John McCain talks a lot, but he doesn't do anything."
Asked why he didn't serve in the Vietnam War, Trump said, "I had student deferments and ultimately had a medical deferment because of my feet. I had a bone spur."
Information for this article was contributed by Jenna Johnson and T. Rees Shapiro of The Washington Post.
A Section on 07/19/2015