AMES, Iowa – Donald Trump defended his controversial statements about Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) during a news conference that got heated when he started bickering with reporters.

Tensions were high on Saturday as the real estate mogul-turned-presidential candidate took questions from reporters following his comments at the Family Leadership Summit, in which he questioned whether McCain is a war hero.

In a fiery exchange with reporters in the basement of Stephens Auditorium, Trump raised his voice, often interrupting before a full question was asked. At one point, he yelled at a journalist, telling him to “go back to being a pundit.”

“If a person is captured, they’re a hero as far as I’m concerned,” Trump said. “But you have to do other things also. I don’t like the job John McCain is doing in the Senate. He’s not taking care of our veterans.”

Trump went back and forth with reporters, attempting to clarify his statements, but the businessman kept giving different answers as if there was some confusion.

“I like the people who don’t get captured and you have many people who didn’t get captured; I respect them greatly,” he said.

When asked about his multiple student deferments and medical deferment that allowed him to avoid service during the Vietnam War, Trump defended himself, saying “millions of other people” took the same option.

“I was going to college and got student deferments,” Trump said. “It’s a long time ago, student deferments and ultimately a medical deferment because of my feet. I had a bone spur.”

Trump went on to say he “wasn’t a big fan” of the Vietnam War, and that he had many friends that served and many that also had student deferments.

“I wasn’t a protester, but the Vietnam War was a disaster for our country,” Trump said. “What did we get out of the war other than death?”

When asked if he would apologize to the Arizona senator, Trump refused.

– This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.