John McCain -- I'm Not Saying Trump Owes Me An Apology, But He Does (VIDEO)

Sen. John McCain isn't explicitly saying it, but he clearly thinks Donald Trump owes him an apology, because he squarely falls into the category of soldiers he believes are heroes.

Our photog, Colin, got McCain Monday night arriving at Reagan National Airport and he did not mince words ... he says Trump owes an apology to the families of POWs and the POWs themselves.

The apology is rooted in Trump's comments that POWs are not heroes. McCain was a POW, ergo he's a hero.

Trump remains at the top of the field among Republican presidential candidates, but a poll released Monday showed his McCain remarks hurt his standing.