Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Sen. John McCain, has publicly condemned former President Donald Trump for his derogatory comments about her father’s war-related injuries. Trump made these comments during a campaign event in Iowa, ridiculing the late senator’s arm injuries, which he sustained during his captivity in North Vietnam from 1967 to 1973. Trump associated McCain’s physical condition with the unsuccessful 2017 repeal of Obamacare.
During the event, Trump blamed McCain for the demise of the repeal bill and stated, “But John McCain for some reason couldn’t get his arm up that day, remember?” He even replicated the thumbs-down gesture that McCain famously demonstrated during the 2017 Senate vote.
Meghan McCain, in response to Trump’s comments, expressed her outrage and called him a “piece of sh*t, election-denying huckster whose own wife won’t campaign with him.” She highlighted her father’s legacy as an American hero, an icon, and a patriot who will be remembered throughout history.
John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, served in the U.S. Senate from 1987 until his death in August 2018. His vote against the Obamacare repeal, along with Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, marked a notable setback for congressional Republicans.
Trump’s derogatory comments about McCain’s injuries and his association with the failed repeal bill are significant because they reveal his persistent branding of Obamacare as ineffective and his insistence on its replacement. Trump has consistently promised “much better healthcare than Obamacare for the American people.”
Sen. Mark Kelly, who secured victory in the 2020 special election for McCain’s seat, also criticized Trump for his comments, stating that Trump doesn’t understand what it means to put others before oneself and sacrifice for the country, something that John McCain exemplified.
It is worth noting that Trump remains a leading contender in the Republican primary race. In a recent poll, he received 42% of the vote in a hypothetical matchup against President Joe Biden, who received 41% of the vote. This indicates that Trump still maintains a strong base of support within the Republican Party.
The public denouncement of Trump by Meghan McCain and the criticism from Sen. Mark Kelly highlight the ongoing divisions within the Republican Party regarding Trump’s leadership and rhetoric. Trump’s derogatory comments about John McCain’s injuries serve as a reminder of the contentious relationship between the former president and certain members of the party.
