President Trump reportedly does not want to say anything about Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., before he passes away, despite the news that the longtime senator will discontinue medical treatment for terminal cancer.
White House officials told the Washington Post that Trump wants to remain silent about McCain, and the White House did not try to release a statement Friday after the decision regarding the senator’s medical treatment was made public.
[New: John McCain, war hero and maverick senator, dead at 81]
Many politicians on both sides of the aisle published statements of support for McCain, who has been battling an aggressive form of brain cancer for more than a year.
Trump and McCain have had a contentious relationship since the 2016 presidential campaign.
After the GOP senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee criticized Trump, Trump disparaged McCain’s military service, saying the senator was “not a war hero.”
McCain was held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam for five years, during which he was tortured.
The president has told others he does not regret making the remark, according to the Washington Post.
Throughout his presidency, Trump has continued to belittle McCain — without mentioning him by name — specifically for his vote against Republicans’ proposal to repeal Obamacare.
The president believes McCain opposed the healthcare bill because he has a vendetta against Trump, the Washington Post reported.
Most recently, Trump avoided saying McCain’s name while signing a defense bill named for the Arizona senator.
Those close to McCain reportedly told the White House that Trump won’t be invited to the senator’s funeral, though Vice President Mike Pence, as well as former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, will be.
McCain announced his brain cancer diagnosis last year.
