The remarks made yesterday by Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald did not go over well with, ummmm, anyone.

Not with Speaker Paul Ryan.

This is not make-believe, Mr. Secretary. Veterans have died waiting in those lines. https://t.co/OxfT3AYzTi

— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) May 23, 2016

Not veteran and Senator Joni Ernst.

I'm calling on VA Sec. McDonald to resign immediately: https://t.co/FzESuEEyzE

— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) May 24, 2016

Ernst’s statement is as follows:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), the first female combat veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate, released the following statement calling for the resignation of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald:

“Secretary McDonald’s dishonorable remarks yesterday make clear that he fails to take seriously the need for timely and quality care for our veterans. He blatantly dismissed the heart ache and pain that our veterans face while awaiting basic care, and illustrated his compete disregard for the incredibly serious issues facing the VA.

“It’s no secret that there is deep corruption within the VA system, leading to more failure and abuse. Secretary McDonald is at the helm, and instead of taking charge to clear out bad actors, he has stood idly by. Any government agency or organization takes on the attitude of their leadership, and Secretary McDonald has been too willing to look the other way. We simply cannot allow the misconduct and poor care to continue without repercussions. That’s why today, I am calling for Secretary McDonald’s resignation immediately.

“As I have stated, too many veterans have died while waiting to receive assistance from the VA, yet the very person our men and women are counting on, the person who is tasked with fixing the serious wait times, is making fun of the problem.

“Our veterans deserve better than a completely incompetent VA. Our men and women have selflessly sacrificed in defense of our freedoms and deserve nothing less than timely and quality care.”

Even the Disney Corporation was puzzled and upset with the comparison.

A Disney Theme Parks spokesperson responded by phone to deny this claim:

“We take wait times very seriously. We continually push the boundaries to give our guests the best experience possible. A large team of highly trained industrial engineers are tasked with improving our guest’s experiences, from transportation, to guest flow, to ride comfort and certainly wait times.

One of the things we take great pride in is if you have a wait time at our parks, your wait is enjoyable. We call this the Disney Difference. We recently remodeled the Dumbo ride, doubling its size and adding a Big Top area for families waiting for the ride. This area is a huge, interactive, air conditioned area for children to play in and where adults can relax with a buzzer they receive that notifies them when their spot is ready on the ride.”

So, would McDonald apologize for such an asinine claim?

No, but he’s sorry if you misunderstood him.

“If I was misunderstood, if I said the wrong thing, I’m glad that I have the opportunity to correct it,” he told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell. “I’m only focused on one thing, and that’s better caring for veterans. That’s my job, that’s why I’m here.”

Swift backlash followed from both sides of the aisle. When asked on MSNBC if he was sorry, McDonald stopped short of an apology, but said the VA was undergoing its largest transformation ever, saying, “We still have work to do.”

“Wait times are important, but they’re not the only measure of veterans’ experience, and that’s what veterans are telling us,” he said.

Secretary McDonald, if you are really looking to provide better care for veterans, then you should start by firing the people who have made sure that they never got care to start with. And you can begin the firings with yourself.