Senior Trump aide Kelly Sadler has not been fired from her position after drawing heavy criticism for mocking Sen. John McCain’s, R-Ariz., cancer diagnosis in a staff meeting this week, the White House said Friday.
Unnamed White House officials told reporters on Thursday that Sadler, who handles surrogate communications inside the West Wing, had joked about McCain’s illness during a meeting about Trump’s nominee for CIA director, whose confirmation the Arizona Republican has opposed.
“He’s dying anyway,” Sadler reportedly said about McCain, who is currently recovering from brain surgery back in his home state.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders initially dodged questions about her colleague’s job security, but later confirmed to reporters Sadler remains in her post.
“I’m not going to validate a leak out of an internal staff meeting one way or another,” she said when pressed repeatedly about Sadler’s conduct.
Trump’s top spokeswoman also denied that White House officials harbors negative feelings toward McCain, who derailed a Republican effort to repeal Obamacare last fall and has routinely sparred with the president over Russia and immigration.
“There is not a tone set here,” Sanders said. “We have respect for all Americans and that is what we try to put forward in everything we do in both word and in action. I’m not going to get into a back-and-forth because people want to create issues over leaked staff meetings.”
Sadler has yet to speak out publicly about her comment, nor has she apologized to McCain and his family, who have called for her firing.
“The thing that surprised me most is, I don’t understand what kind of environment you’re working in where that would be acceptable, and then you can come to work the next day and still have a job,” McCain’s daughter Meghan said during an appearance on “The View” Friday morning.
