Donald Trump: John McCain ‘should not be talking about the success or failure of a mission’

President Trump on Thursday said Sen. John McCain “should not be talking about” what constitutes the success or failure of a military mission and that Mr. McCain “doesn’t know how to win anymore” after the Arizona Republican said it would be wrong to call a recent mission in Yemen a success.

“Sen. McCain should not be talking about the success or failure of a mission to the media. Only emboldens the enemy!” the president tweeted Thursday.

“He’s been losing so…long he doesn’t know how to win anymore, just look at the mess our country is in - bogged down in conflict all over the place,” Mr. Trump also tweeted.

“Our hero…Ryan died on a winning mission (according to General Mattis), not a ’failure.’ Time for the U.S. to get smart and start winning again!” he tweeted.

The White House and Mr. McCain got into a back-and-forth over the recent mission on Wednesday.

“When you lose a $75 million airplane and, more importantly, [an] American life is lost … I don’t believe that you can call it a success,” Mr. McCain said.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer had said Wednesday that the mission was “absolutely” a success.

“I think anyone who would suggest it’s not a success does disservice to the life of Chief Ryan Owens,” Mr. Spicer said, referring to the Navy SEAL who was killed during the mission.

“I think anybody who undermines the success of that [raid] owes an apology … to Chief Owens,” he said.

Mr. McCain also said Wednesday that when he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, there had been an attempt at a rescue.

“Unfortunately, the prison had been evacuated. But the brave men who [went] on that mission and risked their lives in an effort to rescue us prisoners of war were genuine American heroes,” he said.

“Because the mission failed did not in any way diminish their bravery and courage and willingness to sacrifice for their fellow Americans who were being held captive,” he said. “Mr. Spicer should know that story.”