During a recent TruNews segment, Wiles credits independent journalist Charles Johnson with uncovering the recording in a mislabeled file at the U.S. Rick Wiles, a Florida-based Christian minister who bills himself on his internet webcast TruNews as the 'end time news man,' has published audio online that he contends is McCain's voice as it was broadcast on North Vietnamese radio in 1969. Senator John McCain while he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. In July 2015, during an appearance in Iowa, Trump - who did not serve in Vietnam - disparaged the service of McCain, a decorated war hero and prisoner of war.īack then, Trump said McCain was “a war hero because he was captured” and that he liked “people that weren’t captured.***Please see updates at the end of this post.***Ī right-wing Internet radio host and conspiracy theorist has released a recording purported to be a propaganda radio broadcast of U.S. McCain and Trump have feuded since the earliest days of Trump's presidential bid. They include former Vice President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State and U.S. Since Sadler's remark was made public last week, many of McCain's friends and colleagues have rushed to defend him. 'It is one thing, in the White House, for somebody to say something crude, and stupid, and disrespectful to an American hero,' Sanders said on 'State of the Union.' 'It is another thing for them not to apologize.' Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, said the Trump White House 'mentality' that prevents an apology for 'that terrible remark' is beyond his comprehension. MONTINI: John McCain can plan his own funeral, thank you very much Pressed about the need for an apology to McCain, Bolton said: 'I've said what I'm going to say on this.' I'll never forget it, I'll be grateful forever, and I wish John McCain and his family nothing but the best.' There was no political upside for John McCain in that effort at all, but he did it because he thought I was being treated unfairly. 'He spent countless hours trying to help me out,' Bolton said on CNN's 'State of the Union.' 'And much of it was behind the scenes. John Bolton, Trump's national security adviser who in 2016 helped out McCain's re-election campaign in Arizona, would not answer a question about whether the White House should apologize to McCain.īolton recalled how McCain came to his defense when the conservative Bolton came under fire as then-President George W. MORE: Here's who's defending John McCain after White House aide's remark The topic consumed much of the discussion on Sunday's national public-affairs programs. The remark and the White House's handling of it set a new low for the contentious relationship between the administration and McCain, who is battling brain cancer 2,000 miles away from Washington, D.C., at his home near Sedona. MORE MCCAIN: In new book, McCain makes final plea for immigration reform The Trump administration did not apologize for the comments, but White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reportedly scolded staffers for leaking Sadler's comments about McCain to the press. Last Thursday, White House special assistant Kelly Sadler dismissed McCain’s position that the Senate should block Trump’s nominee for CIA director, saying the opinion of the six-term senator and former prisoner of war did not matter because “he’s dying anyway.” 'If something happened like that in my office - somebody in my office said such a thing about somebody - I would apologize on behalf of the office,' Graham said. Graham said it was up to President Donald Trump to decide if he wanted to apologize on behalf of his administration.

View Gallery: John McCain: A study in contradictions It doesn't hurt you at all to do the right thing and to be big.' I think most Americans would like to see the Trump administration do better in situations like this. 'John McCain can be criticized for any political decision he's ever made or any vote he's ever cast, but he's an American hero. 'I just wish somebody from the White House would tell the country, 'That was inappropriate that's not who we are in the Trump administration,'' Graham said. 'If it was a joke, it was a terrible joke,' said Graham, who visited McCain in Arizona last week.

John McCain, on Sunday ripped the White House’s handling of an aide who joked about McCain’s illness during a meeting attended by two dozen communications staff.ĭuring an interview that aired Sunday morning on CBS’ 'Face the Nation,” the South Carolina Republican said the aide’s comments were a “disgusting thing to say.” He said the White House should categorically denounce them to show America such treatment will not be tolerated. Lindsey Graham, a longtime friend of Arizona's Sen. Watch Video: Meghan McCain fires back at Trump staffer

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