Former McCain aide: Shame on Pence for not endorsing

A former aide to Arizona Sen. John McCain on Thursday blasted Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s running mate, for refusing to endorse McCain in his reelection bid. 

“I remember traveling with John McCain to Indiana to campaign for, several times, for a desperate Mike Pence. Shame on him. #Karma,” John Weaver tweeted Thursday. 

I remember traveling with John McCain to Indiana to campaign for, several times, for a desperate Mike Pence. Shame on him. #Karma

— John Weaver (@JWGOP) August 4, 2016

{mosads}Weaver, who worked on John Kasich’s presidential campaign, went on to call the Indiana governor and former congressman “about as desperate a politician as one could find.” 

“McCain came in for him and made a difference. I was there. #shameful.”  

In 2000, Pence was about as desperate a politician as one could find. McCain came in for him and made a difference. I was there. #shameful

— John Weaver (@JWGOP) August 4, 2016

Pence followed in Trump’s footsteps Thursday by declining to endorse McCain, who is in a competitive primary race in Arizona. 

“But the stakes in this election are so high. To restore our country and home and abroad, we need new leadership, and I’m looking forward to standing should to shoulder with Donald Trump to drive that new leadership forward,” Pence told reporters at a campaign stop. 

Trump said earlier this week McCain has not “done a good job for the vets.” 

Pence broke with Trump on Wednesday when he announced he “strongly” endorsed Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) reelection, after the GOP nominee said he is “not quite there yet” on backing the House leader. 

McCain is facing a difficult reelection race this year, with polls indicating that the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, has a shot at beating Trump in the state in November. The Arizona senator has been critical of Trump in the past.