Trump doesn’t plan to say anything about McCain while he’s still alive: report

President Trump reportedly has no plans to make any statements about Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) while the senator is still alive.

Unnamed White House officials told The Washington Post that the president “does not want to comment on McCain before he dies,” following an announcement by McCain’s family that the longtime senator will no longer be seeking treatment for his brain cancer.

The White House did not issue a statement on the senator following the family’s announcement Friday, even as top Democratic and Republican figures spoke out in support.{mosads}

Trump has long had a combative relationship with McCain, who is a frequent and harsh critic of the administration. It was reported earlier this year that McCain did not want Trump to attend his funeral.

Shortly after announcing his presidential campaign, Trump mocked McCain for being captured during the Vietnam War, saying “he’s not a war hero” and that he “[likes] people who weren’t captured.”

The Post reported Saturday that Trump told people that he does not regret the comment.

The White House also refused to apologize after a Trump aide mocked McCain’s brain cancer in a closed-door meeting, saying that his opposition to Trump’s nominee for CIA director didn’t matter because “he’s dying anyway.” 

The president has continued to take jabs at McCain for voting against a proposed repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Earlier this month, he avoided saying McCain’s name while signing a defense bill named after him, and then again brought up the ObamaCare repeal vote just hours later. 

McCain has been undergoing treatment for his aggressive cancer in Arizona for more than a year. The announcement that he is discontinuing medical treatment comes just days ahead of his 82nd birthday.