--- title: John McCain Condemns Trump Feud With Soldier's Widow description: John McCain on Monday condemned the ongoing controversy surrounding President Donald Trump's call to the grieving widow of a fallen soldier. canonical: https://time.com/4994036/john-mccain-donald-trump-frederica-wilson/ author: Abigail Abrams article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-10-23T20:19:22.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:49:06.643Z article:section: Politics og:title: John McCain Condemns Controversy Over Trump's Call to Soldier's Widow og:description: "We should not be fighting" og:url: https://time.com/4994036/john-mccain-donald-trump-frederica-wilson/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt995c9f934924eba7/6988e3100a4a2241ed9d073c/john-mccain-trump-controversy-fallen-soldier.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: John McCain Honored With Liberty Medal For A Lifetime Of Service og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: John McCain Condemns Controversy Over Trump's Call to Soldier's Widow twitter:description: "We should not be fighting" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt995c9f934924eba7/6988e3100a4a2241ed9d073c/john-mccain-trump-controversy-fallen-soldier.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'We Should Not Be Fighting.' John McCain Condemns Controversy Over Trump's Call to Soldier's Widow > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: John McCain Takes a Veiled Swipe at Donald Trump's Medical Exemption From the Vietnam War [Watch (HLS stream): John McCain Takes a Veiled Swipe at Donald Trump's Medical Exemption From the Vietnam War](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pyh4yeir.m3u8) (0:55)  _Published 2017-10-23. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) appeared to take aim at President Donald Trump's draft deferrals during the Vietnam War this week, following a series of public rebukes of the Trump administration._ by [Abigail Abrams](https://time.com/author/abigail-abrams/) ## Abigail Abrams Oct 23, 2017 8:19 PM UTC  Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) makes remarks after receiving the the 2017 Liberty Medal from former Vice President Joe Biden at the National Constitution Center on Oct. 16, 2017 in Philadelphia. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) makes remarks after receiving the the 2017 Liberty Medal from former Vice President Joe Biden at the National Constitution Center on Oct. 16, 2017 in Philadelphia. William Thomas Cain—Getty Images by [Abigail Abrams](https://time.com/author/abigail-abrams/) ## Abigail Abrams Oct 23, 2017 8:19 PM UTC Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain on Monday condemned [the ongoing controversy](http://time.com/4993373/donald-trump-401k-la-david-johnson-david-letterman-scott-pruitt/) surrounding President Donald Trump’s call to the grieving widow of a fallen soldier. “We should not be fighting about a brave American who lost his life serving his country,” McCain said during an appearance on _The View_. “That should not be the topic of discussion in America today.” Army Sgt. La David Johnson was one of [four U.S. service members killed in Niger earlier this month](http://time.com/4991205/la-david-johnson-trump-john-kelly-niger/). Trump has been under fire ever since Florida Democratic Rep. Ferderica Wilson said Trump told Johnson’s widow that her husband [“knew what he signed up for”](http://time.com/4987048/trump-soldier-widow-la-david-johnson/) — an account Trump has denied but one the widow has confirmed. Myeshia Johnson, the soldier’s widow, [said Trump’s call made her “very angry.”](http://time.com/4993045/myeshia-johnson-donald-trump-frederica-wilson/?) There have also been questions about exactly what happened to the soldiers in Niger. Many of the details around Johnson’s death [remain unclear](http://time.com/4990621/pentagon-niger-attack/), but the [Washington _Post_ reported](http://time.com/4991205/la-david-johnson-trump-john-kelly-niger/) that a group of eight to 12 U.S. soldiers was ambushed by about 50 militants as they were escorting local troops on Oct. 4 when a firefight broke out. McCain said he would like to get more information about what happened to the fallen soldiers. “Americans should know what’s going on in Niger,” he said on Monday. “Unless you learn the lessons, you’re going to repeat them.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4994036/john-mccain-donald-trump-frederica-wilson/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4994036/john-mccain-donald-trump-frederica-wilson/"},"headline":"'We Should Not Be Fighting.' 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