Former comrades in arms of a retired Navy SEAL admiral who oversaw the 2011 operation to take out Osama bin Laden blasted President Trump for denigrating the former commando for not killing the terrorist leader sooner.

Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, who served with Admiral William McRaven in Afghanistan and Iraq, said the commander-in-chief’s comments were “appalling and disgusting,” and served only to distract from McRaven’s initial point about Trump’s attacks on the media.

“What the issue was is the president calling journalists ‘fake news.’ That was the beginning of the question, and suddenly, he diverted to Bill McCraven, and now everyone is talking about insults on McCraven as opposed to freedom of the press,” the former Army officer said Monday on CNN.

Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal said the military needs to have “confidence” in the leaders who send them into harm’s way.

“We have certain things we want and demand of leaders,” McChrystal said on CNN’s “Newsroom.” “And to a degree, there has to be a confidence in the leader’s basic core values. We have to be able to believe in enough of what that leader represents to feel comfortable following them, sometimes to our deaths.”

McChrystal, who commanded Army troops in Afghanistan, suggested that Trump’s chiding McRaven reveals his disregard for the US military, despite the president’s claims otherwise.

“The president didn’t go to Arlington Cemetery for Veterans’ Day, and maybe that’s honest, because if you really don’t care, it would be dishonest to pretend that you do,” he said. “I think there’s a certain honesty to what’s happening now.”

Trump, in an interview with “Fox News Sunday,” said he regretted his decision not to go to Arlington last Monday, while insisting he had just returned to Washington from a trip to Paris to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day and he was “extremely busy because of affairs of state.”

George P. Bush, the son of former Florida governor Jeb Bush and the nephew of former President George W. Bush, sang McCraven’s praises in a tweet on Monday.

“Having served in Afghanistan with Adm. McRaven, I have personally witnessed his patriotism & love of country. He is an American hero & has always served our country with honor,” Bush, who served as an officer in the Navy Reserve, posted. “I’m grateful for his service and sacrifices for our freedom.”

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio also signaled his support for McRaven.

“I don’t know if Adm. William McRaven shares my political views or not. But I do know that few Americans have sacrificed or risked more than he has to protect America & the freedoms we enjoy,” Rubio of Florida wrote on Twitter. “His military career exemplified honor & excellence. I am grateful for his service.”

Trump, in an interview with “Fox News Sunday,” lashed out at McRaven after being asked by host Chris Wallace about a remark the veteran special forces officer made in 2017 that the president’s attacks on the media were “the greatest threat to democracy” he has seen in his lifetime.

“OK, he’s a Hilary Clinton backer and an Obama-backer, and frankly … wouldn’t it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that? Wouldn’t it have been nice? You know, living – think of this – living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan,” said Trump, who took a medical deferment for a bone spur to get out of serving during the Vietnam War.

In an interview later Sunday on CNN, McRaven dismissed Trump’s claim that he backed Clinton and stood by his remarks condemning Trump’s assault on the media.

“I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else,” McRaven, who did not endorse a candidate in 2016, said. “I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times.”

“I stand by my comment that the President’s attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime,” he continued. “When you undermine the people’s right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands.”