Ever since Donald Trump claimed Saturday that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) isn’t a war hero — or, maybe, is one only because he was captured in Vietnam — cable networks have covered those remarks without pause.
The national media are obsessed with Trump, who has ridden the feedback loop of press attention to the top of the Republican presidential primary polls. Trump’s comments last month about Mexican immigrants being “rapists” drew extensive coverage as well. But the McCain swipe seemed to send TV bookers into a unique frenzy.
Over four days, The Huffington Post found 162 people — rival presidential candidates, other politicians, strategists, analysts, journalists and former prisoners of war — have been asked to offer their take on Trump’s comment and/or how it will affect the 2016 primary.
Not included in the list is White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, whose take on the fracas was broadcast when he delivered it during his daily briefing. Nor are MSNBC viewers, who were polled on Monday as to whether the McCain comments made Trump unpresidential.
All told, 20 current and former lawmakers were asked to address L’Affaire Trump. Trump himself called in to ABC’s “This Week” and “Fox & Friends” to respond, as well as commenting on camera on Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor.” McCain went on air too, as did two of his children.
Here is the complete list, compiled through a search of CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and the broadcast network Sunday shows from noon Saturday through noon Tuesday, using TVEyes. The list doesn’t include hosts, unless they weighed in as a guest on another program.
- Alan Colmes, radio host
- Amber Smith, Concerned Veterans for America
- Amy Holmes, MSNBC contributor
- Ana Navarro, CNN commentator
- Andrea Mitchell, NBC News
- Angela Rye, Impact Strategies
- Ann Coulter, conservative commentator
- Anthony Terrell, NBC News
- Barry McCaffrey, retired general
- Ben Domenech, The Federalist
- Ben Ferguson, host of “The Ben Ferguson Show”
- Ben Sasse, senator from Nebraska
- Benjy Sarlin, MSNBC
- Betsy Woodruff, The Daily Beast
- Bill Kristol, Weekly Standard
- Bill Richardson, former governor of New Mexico
- Bob Cusack, The Hill
- Bob Kerrey, former senator from Nebraska
- Bob Vander Plaats, CEO of The Family Leader
- Brad Woodhouse, Americans United for Change
- Bret Baier, anchor of Fox News’ “Special Report”
- Brianna Keilar, CNN
- Brit Hume, Fox News senior political analyst
- Caitlin Huey-Burns, Real Clear Politics
- Carl Cameron, Fox News
- Carl Higbie, former Navy SEAL
- Charles Blow, New York Times columnist
- Charlie Plumb, retired captain, former Navy pilot and POW with McCain
- Charlie Rangel, congressman from New York
- Chris Cillizza, The Washington Post
- Chris Dodd, former senator from Connecticut
- Chris Jansing, NBC News
- Corey Lewandowski, campaign manager for Donald Trump
- Cornell Belcher, Democratic strategist and analyst
- Damien Lemon, comedian
- Dan Caldwell, legislative director of Concerned Veterans for America
- Dana Bash, CNN
- Daniel Halper, Weekly Standard
- Danielle Pletka, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute
- David Chalian, CNN political director
- David Corn, Mother Jones
- Deneen Borelli, Conservative Review
- Donald Trump (on Bill O’Reilly’s show)
- Donna Brazile, CNN political commentator
- Ed O’Keefe, The Washington Post
- Ed Rendell, former governor of Pennsylvania
- Ed Rollins, Republican strategist
- EJ Dionne, Washington Post columnist
- Elahe Izadi, The Washington Post
- Ellis Henican, political strategist
- Errol Louis, New York 1 political anchor and CNN analyst
- Eugene Robinson, The Washington Post
- Everett Alvarez, retired commander and former POW
- Frank Luntz, pollster and Fox News contributor
- Geraldo Rivera, Fox News senior correspondent
- Gloria Borger, CNN chief political analyst
- Guy Benson, Townhall.com
- Gwen Ifill, PBS
- Harold Ford Jr., former congressman from Tennessee
- Howard Fineman, The Huffington Post
- Howard Kurtz, Mediabuzz host
- Jack Jacobs, retired colonel and NBC/MSNBC analyst
- Jack McCain, son of the senator and a former Navy helicopter pilot
- Jackie Kucinich, The Daily Beast
- James Rosen, Fox News chief Washington correspondent
- Jamie Weinsten, Daily Caller
- James Williams, retired major general, U.S. Marine Corps
- Jane Harman, former congresswoman from California
- Jane Timm, MSNBC reporter on the trail with Trump in South Carolina
- Jeffrey Lord, former political director for Ronald Reagan
- Jehmu Greene, former 2008 Clinton campaign adviser
- Jennifer Granholm, former governor of Michigan
- Jeremy Peters, The New York Times
- Jim Jordan, congressman from Ohio
- Jim Webb, former senator from Virginia and 2016 presidential candidate
- Joan Walsh, Salon
- John Heilemann, Bloomberg Politics
- John Kirby, State Department spokesman
- John Leboutillier, former congressman from New York
- John McCain, senator from Arizona
- John McCormack, Weekly Standard
- John Pedevillano, retired lieutenant and WWII veteran
- John Stanton, BuzzFeed
- Jon Karl, ABC News
- Jonathan Allen, VOX
- Jonathan Alter, columnist and MSNBC analyst
- Joy Reid, MSNBC
- Julie Pace, The Associated Press
- Kathleen Parker, Washington Post columnist
- Katty Kay, BBC
- Katy Tur, NBC reporter who recently interviewed Trump
- Kayleigh McEnany, Political Prospect
- Kevin Madden, Republican strategist and CNN commentator
- Kristen Welker, MSNBC
- Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics
- Laura Ingraham, radio host
- Lauren Fox, National Journal
- Lee Ellis, retired colonel and former Vietnam POW
- Leo K. Thorsness, retired colonel and McCain’s cellmate in Vietnam
- Lindsey Graham, senator from South Carolina and 2016 candidate
- Liz Mair, Republican strategist
- Luke Russert, NBC News
- LZ Granderson, ESPN
- Maggie Haberman, The New York Times and CNN analyst
- Marc Lamont Hill, HuffPostLive host and CNN commentator
- Marco Rubio, senator from Florida and 2016 candidate
- Margaret Hoover, CNN political analyst
- Mark Halperin, Bloomberg Politics
- Mark Leibovich, New York Times Magazine
- Mark Murray, NBC News
- Mark Preston, CNN
- Martha Pease, brand expert
- Matt Lewis, Daily Caller
- Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union
- Matt Welch, Reason Magazine
- McKay Coppins, BuzzFeed
- Megan McCain, radio host and the senator’s daughter
- Michael Cohen, executive vice president of the Trump Organization
- Michael Eric Dyson, Georgetown University
- Michael Needham, CEO of Heritage Action for America
- Michael Smerconish, radio and CNN host
- Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee
- Mike Emanuel, Fox News
- MJ Lee, CNN
- Mollie Hemingway, The Federalist
- Molly Ball, The Atlantic
- Montel Williams, TV host
- Nia-Malika Henderson, CNN
- Nick Confessore, The New York Times
- Orson Swindle, retired lieutenant colonel and former POW
- Patrick Murphy, former congressman from Pennsylvania
- Patti Solis Doyle, former 2008 Clinton campaign manager and CNN commentator
- Peter Baker, The New York Times
- Peter King, congressman from New York
- Richard Haas, Council on Foreign Relations
- Rick Perry, former governor of Texas and 2016 candidate
- Rick Santorum, former senator from Pennsylvania and 2016 candidate
- Rick Wilson, GOP media consultant
- Robert Costa, The Washington Post
- Robert Kiger, Trump supporter
- Robert Tranum, Republican strategist
- Robert Zimmerman, Democratic strategist
- Ron Brownstein, National Journal
- Ron Christie, Republican strategist
- Ruth Marcus, The Washington Post
- Ryan Lizza, The New Yorker and CNN commentator
- S.E. Cupp, CNN commentator
- Sally Kohn, CNN commentator
- Scott Brown, former senator from Massachusetts
- Scott Walker, governor of Wisconsin and 2016 candidate
- Sharyl Attkisson, investigative journalist
- Stephen Dinan, The Washington Times
- Stephen Hayes, Weekly Standard
- Steve Deace, radio host
- Steve Rattner, former Obama car czar
- Tammy Bruce, radio host
- Tara Dowdell, Democratic commentator
- Tara Setmayer, Republican strategist
- Tom Cotton, senator from Arkansas
- Tom Friedman, New York Times columnist
- Tracy Potts, NBC
- Will Hurd, congressman from Texas
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