Ret. Gen. Allen on Trump: 'He Has No Credibility'

Retired Marine Corps Gen. John Allen excoriated Republican nominee Donald Trump after the businessman called him a 'failed general' and criticized Allen's endorsement of Hillary Clinton.

"He has no credibility to criticize me or my record or anything I have done," Allen said on ABC's "This Week." "If he'd spent a minute in the deserts of Afghanistan or in the deserts of Iraq, I might listen to what he has to say."

Allen gave a full-throated endorsement of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in a speech at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night. He spoke flanked by more than 35 veterans.

In his speech, Allen slammed the Republican nominee without naming him: "With [Clinton] as our commander-in-chief, our international relations will not be reduced to a business transaction."

Trump hit back in a tweet, saying Allen "failed badly in his fight against ISIS," and continued in an interview on ABC's "This Week" to criticize the retired Marine general.

"He didn't beat ISIS. He didn't do even well with ISIS," the Republican nominee told ABC's George Stephanopoulos.

Allen, a four-star general who served as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, recently served as the U.S. special presidential envoy for the international coalition fighting ISIS.

Trump added more generally about the U.S. military effort against ISIS that "the generals aren't doing so well right now," but added that may be "Obama's fault."

"If you look at ISIS -- General McArthur and General Patton, they're spinning in their graves. The generals certainly aren't doing very well right now," he said.

Allen said Trump's comments about the military are a "direct insult" to men and women currently serving in the armed forces.

"What we do have to do, George, is listen to what he's been saying about our military," Allen said. "He's called it a disaster. He says our military can't win anymore. That's a direct insult to every single man and woman who's wearing the uniform today."

Beyond Trump, Allen has also faced criticism from within the military community for endorsing any political candidate. Retired Gen. Martin Dempsey, former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, wrote a letter to the Washington Post criticizing Allen -- as well as retired Lt. General Michael Flynn who spoke in support of Trump at the Republican National Convention -- for breaking the military's tradition of remaining apolitical.

"They have just made the task of their successors who continue to serve in uniform and are accountable for our security, more complicated. It was a mistake for them to participate as they did. It was a mistake for our presidential candidates to ask them to do so," wrote Dempsey in the letter published today.

Allen said he respected Dempsey, but felt compelled to speak out.

"Marty Dempsey is one of the greatest soldiers I have ever known and a dear friend," Allen said. "And I understand completely what he is saying," said Allen.

"But I've agonized over this decision over and over again, George ... I wanted to make sure it was very clear that I supported this particular candidate, Hillary Clinton, to be the president and the commander-in-chief and I decried these comments that put us on a potential track for a civil military crisis the like of which we have never seen in this country, that was the reason I came off the bench."

Allen added that he did not plan to campaign for Clinton or engage in other political activities.