Tapper thanks McCain for his service ‘since President Trump would not do it’

CNN’s Jake Tapper on Monday thanked Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) after President Trump “would not do it” when he signed a defense bill named after the Senate Armed Services chairman earlier in the day.

“Since President Trump would not do it, let us here on ‘The Lead’ congratulate Sen. John McCain and his family, and thank him for his service to the country.”

Tapper started his show “The Lead” with a montage of Trump thanking a number of military officials and lawmakers during his roughly half-hour long remarks at the signing of the defense funding bill.

{mosads}“One person who wasn’t on that list of people that he thanked? Outspoken Trump critic and the namesake of the bill, Sen. John McCain,” Tapper said. “You know, the decorated war hero who was a prisoner of war and continues to serve as a United States senator, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.”

The $717 billion piece of legislation is named the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. Trump made no mention of McCain during his speech, even when referring to the bill.

McCain tweeted that he was “humbled” that Congress chose to name the bill after him.

I’m proud the NDAA is now law & humbled Congress chose to designate it in my name. As Chairman of the Armed Services Cmte, I’ve found high purpose in service of a cause greater than self—the cause of our troops who defend America & all that she stands for. https://t.co/Gco9E57HdC

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) August 13, 2018

Trump has feuded with McCain, who is undergoing treatment for brain cancer, repeatedly throughout his campaign and presidency, most notably mocking the senator’s time as a POW by saying he likes people “who weren’t captured.”

He also jabbed McCain in a speech given hours after the bill signing, sarcastically referring to him as “one of our wonderful senators” and mocking his “thumbs down” vote on the ObamaCare repeal.