A White House[1] aide’s remark this week that Sen. John McCain[2]’s political positions don’t matter because he’s near death was “disgusting” and the White House[3] should issue an apology, Sen. Lindsey Graham[4] told CBS News in an interview set to air Sunday morning.
The South Carolina Republican, a longtime friend and Senate ally of Mr. McCain[5], told the “Face the Nation” program that the Trump administration[6] could do itself a favor by issuing a formal apology to the McCain family.
“It’s a pretty disgusting thing to say. If it was a joke, it was a terrible joke. I just wish somebody from the White House[7] would tell the country that was inappropriate, that’s not who we are in the Trump administration[8],” Mr. Graham[9] said.
The remark reportedly came from White House[10] communications aide Kelly Sadler in response to Mr. McCain[11] saying he’d vote against Gina Haspel, the president’s pick to head the CIA. The aide said Mr. McCain[12]’s position doesn’t matter because he’s “dying anyway.”
White House[13] press secretary Sarah Sanders would not comment on the matter Friday, but White House[14] budget director Mick Mulvaney told Fox News over the weekend the comments should be taken in context.
“This was a private meeting inside the White House[15],” he said. “It was a joke — a badly considered joke, an awful joke that she said fell flat.”
But Mr. Graham[16] said that regardless of whether it was a private meeting, the White House[17] should issue an apology....
“John McCain[18] can be criticized for any political decision he’s ever made, or any vote he’s ever cast, but he’s an American hero,” he said. “And I think most Americans would like to see the Trump administration[19] do better in situations like this. It doesn’t hurt you at all to do the right thing and to be big.”