Trump dismisses Cindy McCain’s endorsement of Biden

President Trump on Wednesday dismissed Cindy McCain’s endorsement of his rival, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, saying he “hardly” knows her and describing the former vice president as a “lapdog” for her late husband, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

“I hardly know Cindy McCain other than having put her on a Committee at her husband’s request,” Trump tweeted. It was not immediately clear what committee he was referencing.

Trump did not directly attack Cindy McCain, but instead criticized her late husband and his positions on U.S. military engagements overseas, saying he was “never a fan” of John McCain.

“Joe Biden was John McCain’s lapdog. So many BAD decisions on Endless Wars & the V.A., which I brought from a horror show to HIGH APPROVAL. Never a fan of John. Cindy can have Sleepy Joe!” Trump continued.

I hardly know Cindy McCain other than having put her on a Committee at her husband’s request. Joe Biden was John McCain’s lapdog. So many BAD decisions on Endless Wars & the V.A., which I brought from a horror show to HIGH APPROVAL. Never a fan of John. Cindy can have Sleepy Joe!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2020

Cindy McCain officially endorsed Biden on Tuesday, describing him as someone who “stands up for our values as a nation.” During the Democratic National Convention in August, McCain narrated a video describing the friendship between her late husband and Biden, but she did not explicitly endorse him at the time.

Her endorsement follows reporting in The Atlantic that said Trump disparaged fallen service members as “losers” and “suckers” during a 2018 trip to France. Biden said during a virtual fundraiser Tuesday afternoon that the revelations drove McCain to back his candidacy. The White House has vehemently denied the account as reported by The Atlantic.

Trump has publicly criticized John McCain on various occasions. In 2015, he said McCain was only declared a war hero because he had been a prisoner of war and that he preferred people who weren’t “captured.” McCain was held as a prisoner of war for more than five years during the Vietnam War.

Cindy McCain’s endorsement comes as Trump finds himself in a tight battle with Biden in the state of Arizona.