The Nation editor Katrina vanden Heuvel was blasted on Twitter Wednesday for calling Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) an "armchair warrior."
McCain is a decorated Vietnam War veteran who served as a Navy fighter pilot and was shot down and taken prisoner during the war. Throughout his captivity, McCain was tortured as well by his jailors, leaving him with permanent injuries.
vanden Heuvel tweeted out a story on Russian hacking in which McCain refers to Russia's actions as an act of war. While defending Russia, vanden Heuvel sent out the insensitive tweet.
Will this set Armchair Warrior McCain straight? /Russia's apparent meddling in U.S. election is not an act of war https://t.co/1UyMDYPAkw
— Katrina vandenHeuvel (@KatrinaNation) February 8, 2017
Responses to vanden Heuvel included images of a wounded future senator.
"Armchair Warrior"https://t.co/JNudAVwXTK pic.twitter.com/5idbSHYdXU
— Aaron MacLean (@AaronBMacLean) February 8, 2017
"Armchair warrior" pic.twitter.com/K214yjTlIN
— Blake Seitz (@BlakeSeitz) February 8, 2017
Armchair warrior. @KatrinaNationhttps://t.co/zTNKpyR2SL pic.twitter.com/xa5ohIdgVs
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) February 8, 2017
@KatrinaNation @washingtonpost let's see a pic of you in uniform...Armchair Warrior looks a lot like a US Naval Aviator. pic.twitter.com/sfJqBnnJ7l
— Roger (@Roger247) February 8, 2017
Some people were just outright shocked.
TFW when a progressive editor describes war hero @SenJohnMcCain as an "armchair warrior." pic.twitter.com/ZmT1w9vdxv
— Ed Morrissey (@EdMorrissey) February 8, 2017
"Armchair Warrior." Five and a half years in a Vietnamese prison evidently spent on a La-Z-Boy. https://t.co/e2PLMxHHdQ
— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) February 8, 2017
vanden Heuvel later tweeted that she "mischaracterized" McCain, but did not apologize.
Mischaracterized McCain. Better to say war hero now leading War Party.
— Katrina vandenHeuvel (@KatrinaNation) February 8, 2017