8/27/2018

JOHN MCCAIN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Until 4 p.m. ET on Monday [8-27-18], here was the totality of President Donald Trump’s reaction to the death of Arizona Sen. John McCain over the weekend: ‘My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain. Our hearts and prayers are with you!’ That was a tweet Trump sent on Saturday [8-25-18] night shortly after the news of McCain’s passing was made public. On Monday, during a series of events at the White House, Trump was asked on five occasions if he wanted to add anything to that tweet or say anything at all about McCain. He said nothing. Meanwhile, the flag over the White House, which had flown at half-staff since McCain’s death Saturday night, was returned to full-staff on Monday morning…That the President of the United States — a man who famously/infamously said McCain was only a war hero because he had been captured — had to be led, kicking and screaming, to do the most basic honoring of someone who spent a lifetime in service of the country is appalling. There’s simply no other word for it.”

Chris Cillizza, “Donald Trump’s shameful silence on John McCain,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, August 27, 2018 9:55 pm