Fox News host Charles Payne is being dragged through the mud because he allowed a guest to attack John McCain’s military service.
Former Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney made the crass comments on Thursday. He used McCain’s history as a prisoner of war as justification for torture, claiming that “Songbird McCain” proved that harsh methods worked.
“The fact is John McCain, it worked on John, that’s why they call him Songbird John,” McInerney said.
“The fact is those methods can work and they are effective as former Vice President Cheney said. And if we have to use them to save a million American lives, we will do whatever we have to.”
Payne, a Vietnam veteran himself, allowed the comments to go unchallenged.
Social media was less forgiving. People on both sides of the political aisle were disgusted by McInerney’s words. McCain was tortured for five years during the Vietnam war. He says that he never gave up valuable information and purposefully misled his captors.
Payne quickly apologized.
“My Apology to Senator McCain and his Family This morning on a show I was hosting, a guest made a very false and derogatory remark about Senator John McCain. At the time, I had the control room in my ear telling me to wrap the segment, and did not hear the comment,” he said.
“I regret I did not catch this remark, as it should have been challenged. As a proud military veteran and son of a Vietnam Vet these words neither reflect my or the network’s feelings about Senator McCain, or his remarkable service and sacrifice to this country.”
Torture has been in the news a lot lately as the Senate ponders Gina Haspel’s nomination to head the CIA. Her detractors say that she oversaw America’s torture program.
President Trump, however, still believes in her.
“Gina Haspel did a spectacular job today. There is nobody even close to run the CIA!” he tweeted Wednesday.
McCain openly opposed Haspel’s nomination.
(Source: Daily Mail)