Trump goes after former POW McCain after he criticizes botched Yemen raid: 'He's been losing so long he doesn't know how to win anymore'

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President Donald Trump tore into Arizona Sen. John McCain this morning, claiming that the former prisoner of war has been 'losing so long he doesn't know how to win anymore.' 

McCain and Trump have never seen eye-to-eye on foreign policy, and the Republican senator has been especially critical of the president's first special op, a raid in Yemen on an al Qaeda affiliate.

The White House has repeatedly said the assault was a 'success,' even though a Navy SEAL and an eight-year-old American girl died in the crossfire.

'While many of the objectives of the recent raid in Yemen were met, I would not describe any operation that results in the loss of American life as a success,' McCain rebutted. The senator first said the incursion was a 'failure' but toned down his remarks.

Trump said Thursday morning that McCain should keep his opinions to himself - criticism of the operation 'only emboldens the enemy!'

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President Donald Trump restarted a feud with Arizona Sen. John McCain this morning, claiming that the former prisoner of war has been 'losing so long he doesn't know how to win anymore'

McCain and Trump have never seen eye-to-eye on foreign policy, and the Republican senator has been especially critical of the president's first special op, a raid in Yemen on an al Qaeda affiliate 

Trump said Thursday morning that McCain should keep his opinions to himself - criticism of the operation 'only emboldens the enemy!' 

Trump slammed the senator, who chairs the upper chamber's Armed Services Committee, in a trio of Thursday morning tweets that said: 'Sen. McCain should not be talking about the success or failure of a mission to the media. Only emboldens the enemy!

'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. 

'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!' 

Ryan is the SEAL who died in the operation, William 'Ryan' Owens.

Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer claimed negative assessments of the raid that reportedly killed 30 people, including some civilians, did a 'disservice' to the Navy SEAL - and McCain should apologize.

McCain isn't budging. He told news outlets after Spicer's briefing with reporters that he knows what a 'failed' mission looks like, all too well.

'Many years ago, when I was imprisoned in North Vietnam, there was an attempt to rescue the POWs. Unfortunately, the prison had been evacuated, but the brave men who took— risked their lives in an effort to rescue us prisoners of war were genuine American heroes,' he recalled.

'Because the mission failed did not in any way diminish their courage and willingness to help their fellow Americans who were help captive. Mr. Spicer should know that story.' 

He concluded, 'Any connection between success or failure and the heroism of men and women who serve, there is none.'

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (left) insisted that the raid in Yemen was 'absolutely a success' - and criticisms do a disservice to the fallen SEAL. McCain reminded Spicer that he was a POW - and knows what a failed op looks like all too well

Trump approved the covert op in Yemen just five days after taking the White House, that targeted al-Qaeda leaders based on intelligence that President Obama's administration had previously passed on. 

Three U.S. service members were wounded in the onslaught, along with eight-year-old Nawar al-Awlaki, known as Nora. The daughter of American terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki, Nora was a United States citizen. 

Spicer insisted on Wednesday that the counter-terrorism raid was 'absolutely a success'. 

McCain says any operation where a $75 million airplane is lost, a Navy SEAL is killed, and there are multiple casualties, including women and children, 'cannot be labeled a success.' 

On Tuesday, the former prisoner of war was quoted as saying the mission was a 'failure,' but a day later he appeared to soften his assessment in saying that it was not a 'success.'   

According to White House insiders, Trump reportedly agreed to the Jan. 29 operation after he was told the former president 'wouldn't have been bold enough' to go for the 'game-changer', CNBC reported an official saying.   

Military officials also told Reuters that Trump approved the counter-terrorism operation without sufficient intelligence, ground support or adequate backup preparation.

William 'Ryan' Owens (left), a 36-year-old from Illinois, was killed along with eight-year-old Nawar al-Awlaki (right), also known as Nora, in the botched raid on January 29

Trump ordered the attack after Obama deferred the decision to the 45th president while the American government awaited a moonless night to strike.

The purpose of the mission was to recover laptops, cell phones and other intelligence that would help battle Al Qaeda groups in the region.

Spicer said the operation gained 'an unbelievable amount of intelligence' in the raid 'that will prevent potential deaths or attacks on American soil.'  

The Defense Department denies allegations that the day's true purpose was to kill high-ranking terrorist and Al Qaeda leader Qassim al-Rimi. The AQAP leader emerged this week to taunt Trump as a fool' in an 11-minute video.

Along with 14 militants, Owens and al-Awlaki were killed in the raid on a branch of al Qaeda, in the al Bayda province. Nora was the daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, a militant killed in an equall controversial U.S. drone strike in 2011.

Trump flew to Delaware to honor the first military casualty of his presidency as the SEAL's body was returned to US soil on February 1.  

The White House denies that the secret target of last week's Navy SEAL raid was al-Qaeda's head operative in the Arabian Peninsula, Qassim al-Rimi. He is still alive and has taunted Donald Trump in an audio recording released Sunday

Al-Rimi said: 'The White House's new fool has received a painful blow at your hands in his first outing on your land.' Pictured: Debris following the raid

Reports of additional dead civilians led to outrage in the Middle Eastern country. Yemen on Wednesday revoked permission for the United States to run special ops.

Medics at the scene said about 30 people, including 10 women and children, were killed.

Yemen's ambassador to the United States said the country's cooperation should not come 'at the expense of the Yemeni citizens and the country's sovereignty.' 

The president of Yemen voiced concerns about the raid according to the ambassador, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, The New York Times reported.

He said in an interview with Al Jazeera: 'Yemen's government is a key partner in the war against terrorism.