The public was appalled. The family was hurt. But the White House likely wont apologize for an aides cutting comment that Arizona Sen. John McCain s opposition to Gina Haspel heading the CIA didnt matter because hes dying anyway.
In the past, Trump administration advisers have praised McCains years of public service in government and in the military. But there wasnt a word of regret from the White House on Sunday about Kelly Sadlers leaked comment.
McCains daughter, talk show host Meghan McCain , told ABC News that Sadler had called her to personally apologize, but she was waiting for more.
I asked her to publicly apologize and she said she would , said Meghan McCain . I have not spoken to her since and I assume that it will never come.
National Security Adviser John Bolton told CNN s State of the Union that he will never forget McCains vital support during his difficult 2005 confirmation fight to become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
[McCain] did it because he thought I was being treated unfairly. Ill never forget it, Ill be grateful forever, and I wish John McCain and his family nothing but the best, Bolton said.
But when pressed by Jake Tapper to address Sadlers hurtful comment, Bolton said curtly: Ive said what Im going to say.
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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) described Sadlers comment as disgusting on CBSs Face the Nation. He called McCain, who was a prisoner of war for five years in Vietnam, an American hero.
The White House appeared to be more upset that Sadlers comment was leaked than by her ugly remark. On Friday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders angrily dressed down her staff in a meeting for talking about what was said. She called the leak selfish. Five staffers subsequently leaked details of the meeting to the media.
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