Meghan McCain, the daughter of deceased Sen. John McCain, responded to reports that the White House sought to cover-up the name of the USS John McCain during his visit to Japan.
“Trump is a child who will always be deeply threatened by the greatness of my dads incredible life. There is a lot of criticism of how much I speak about my dad, but nine months since he passed, Trump won’t let him RIP. So I have to stand up for him. It makes my grief unbearable,” McCain said Wednesday night on Twitter.
White House officials confirmed Wednesday reports that the administration had told U.S. Navy and Air Force officials that the “USS John McCain needs to be out of sight.”
Photos from President Trump’s visit show a tarp hung over the ship’s name to cover the name. Sailors wearing uniforms bearing McCain’s name got the day off.
Trump responded Wednesday to claims the White House had ordered the move.
“I was not informed about anything having to do with the Navy Ship USS John S. McCain during my recent visit to Japan,” Trump said on Twitter.
I was not informed about anything having to do with the Navy Ship USS John S. McCain during my recent visit to Japan. Nevertheless, @FLOTUS and I loved being with our great Military Men and Women – what a spectacular job they do!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019
McCain responded to Trump on “The View” Thursday.
“It’s impossible to go through the grief process when my father, who has been dead 10 months, is constantly in the news cycle because the president is so obsessed with the fact that he’s never going to be a great man like he was.” McCain said. “You’re weaponizing his legacy in the way you want. So, I just want to say that please have a little more compassion.”
Trump has been a frequent critic of John McCain dating back to 2000 and continuing after the senator had died. Meghan McCain has been diligent in defending her father’s legacy, telling Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Monday to stop using her father’s memory for political purposes.
