Donald Trump got the fighting side of Meghan McCain yesterday when he spoke ill of her daddy, Senator John McCain. On stage at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, Donald Trump said of John McCain:

“He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

Trump was promptly booed by some, but was given a standing ovation as he left the stage. When pressed by reporters, Trump made a half-effort to walk back his remarks about McCain, without actually apologizing.

“I’m with the veterans all the time,” he said. “I consider them heroes. If somebody’s a prisoner, I consider them a war hero.”

But he took the opportunity to swipe at John McCain yet again.

“I think John McCain’s done very little for the veterans. I’m very disappointed in John McCain.”

He then called McCain “yet another all talk, no action politician who spends too much time on television and not enough time doing his job.”

Meghan McCain responded via Twitter:

“I have a brother that just returned from Afghanistan a month ago, glad he can come home to this being said about his father and his service.”

I have a brother that just returned from Afghanistan a month ago, glad he can come home to this being said about his father and his service.

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) July 18, 2015

Trump’s would-be opponents in the GOP primary took turns distancing themselves from him and outright disowning him.

“Donald Trump owes every American veteran and in particular John McCain an apology,” said Rick Perry, right after Trump left the stage.

“Here’s what I think they’re going to say: ‘Donald Trump, you’re fired,’” Senator Lindsey Graham said. Graham is good friends with Meghan McCain’s dad.

“I unequivocally denounce him,” Scott Walker said of Trump.

“Enough with the slanderous attacks,” Jeb Bush tweeted. “@SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans – particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration.”

Enough with the slanderous attacks. @SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans – particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration.

— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) July 18, 2015

Bobby Jindal tweeted: “John McCain is an American hero. I have nothing but respect for his service to our country. After Donald Trump spends six years in a POW camp, he can weigh in on John McCain’s service.”

John McCain is an American hero. I have nothing but respect for his service to our country.

— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) July 18, 2015

After Donald Trump spends six years in a POW camp, he can weigh in on John McCain's service

— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) July 18, 2015

Ted Cruz was not as clear, seeming to have a hard time positioning himself. He called McCain “an American hero,” but would not “say something bad about Donald Trump.”

Marco Rubio did not have the same problem Cruz has, whatever that may be. He said, in no uncertain terms, “This is an insult to all POWs, all men and women who have served us in uniform and have been captured.”

“This is a man who spent his whole life saying outrageous things,” Rubio said. “So, early in this campaign when he said something outrageous, people kind of said ‘Just ignore it and move on. This is what he does.’ But I think now as things have gone forward and he’s become more of a covered candidate and people have paid more attention to him, it requires people to be more forceful about some of these offensive things that he is saying.”

“It’s not just absurd, it’s offensive,” Rubio continued. “It’s ridiculous. And I do think it is a disqualifier as commander in chief.”

The bigwigs at Huffington Post have had enough of Donald Trump’s posturing and play. They see his “candidacy” as such a joke that they announced they will no longer report on it alongside other candidates.

“After watching and listening to Donald Trump since he announced his candidacy for president, we have decided we won’t report on Trump’s campaign as part of The Huffington Post’s political coverage. Instead, we will cover his campaign as part of our Entertainment section. Our reason is simple: Trump’s campaign is a sideshow. We won’t take the bait. If you are interested in what The Donald has to say, you’ll find it next to our stories on the Kardashians and The Bachelorette.”