Donald Trump actually said this about John McCain

Earlier this week we reported on one Republican's suggestion that Donald Trump is just a sleeper agent designed to make the Democrats look good.

Trump now seems determined to add fuel to that conspiracy theory - most recently by questioning John McCain's credentials as a war hero.

McCain, who was the Republican candidate for president in 2008, was captured by the enemy during the Vietnam War and spent five-and-a-half years as a political prisoner. To this day McCain cannot raise his arms above his shoulders because of injuries sustained when he was tortured in captivity, and he has received a Purple Heart for his military service.

Speaking during a question-and-answer session on Saturday at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Trump said of McCain: "He is not a war hero."

After Frank Luntz, who was chairing the session, interrupted to say "he is a war hero" Trump added: "I like people that weren't captured, OK? I hate to tell you. He is a war hero because he was captured. OK, you can have... I believe perhaps he is a war hero."

Trump later clarified on Twitter: "Captured or not, all our soldiers are heroes".

John McCain has not responded to the comments, but his daughter Meghan tweeted:

More: Donald Trump has been forced to deny he is a Democratic sleeper agent