U.S. President Donald Trump has assailed veteran Senator John McCain after the Arizona Republican disputed the administration’s claim that the recent military raid in Yemen was a "success."
Trump accused the Vietnam War veteran and chairman of the Armed Services Committee on Twitter on February 9 of "emboldening the enemy" with his comments.
McCain on February 7 labeled the deadly raid a "failure."
He said that while many objectives were met, "I would not describe any operation that results in the loss of American life as a success."
"Senator McCain should not be talking about the success or failure of a mission to the media," Trump said on Twitter. "Only emboldens the enemy! He's been losing so...long he doesn't know how to win anymore."
The January 28 raid, designed as an intelligence-gathering mission, turned into a major battle with fighters from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula militant group.
A U.S. Navy SEAL, Ryan Owens, was killed, a $75 million aircraft was lost, and there were multiple casualties, including women and children.
McCain has often been a critic of his fellow Republican, especially on matters involving Russia and national security.
During the presidential campaign, Trump said McCain was not a war hero because he was captured while serving in Vietnam.