Scaramucci ‘disappointed’ by White House’s response to McCain death

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said Thursday he was unsurprised but disappointed in how President Trump handled the death of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), calling it a “slap” to veterans.

“I would disagree with it, and I think the smartest advisers around the president, the ones who like him the most, would tell him the truth about something like this,” Scaramucci said on CNN’s “New Day.”

{mosads}Scaramucci said that even if the president had personal grievances against McCain over their relationship, refusing to acknowledge his service to the country is a “slap to all the veterans.” 

“Forget about Senator McCain, sometimes the symbolism coming out of the Oval Office and the White House is for all Americans,” he said.

“John McCain was a veteran, he served the country with distinction, he’s a war hero and — whether he was captured or not doesn’t really make a difference, he is a war hero — and you have to honor him the way you would honor other veterans,” Scaramucci added.

Anthony Scaramucci on the White House’s response to the death of Sen. John McCain: “I’m not surprised by it, but I’m disappointed” https://t.co/neIQtzxfTe pic.twitter.com/2o3hXwSWiR

— New Day (@NewDay) August 30, 2018

McCain remained one of Trump’s staunchest Republican critics even after his cancer diagnosis took him away from Washington, D.C.

Trump drew widespread backlash on Monday after White House flags returned to full staff less than 48 hours after the death of the 2008 GOP presidential nominee. The president typically orders flags to remain at half-staff through the burial of a major public figure, which in this case is Sunday.

Trump also refused to answer shouted questions from reporters about McCain during multiple White House events on Monday.

The president issued a proclamation later Monday afternoon expressing “respect” for McCain’s service and ordered flags to be lowered once again to half-staff.

Trump and the Senate icon have clashed for years. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump questioned whether McCain, who was held captive during the Vietnam War, was really a “war hero.” The president has repeatedly blasted the Arizona Republican’s vote against an ObamaCare repeal bill last summer.

Lawmakers traveled to Arizona on Thursday to take part in a memorial service for McCain, who died on Saturday at age 81 after a battle with brain cancer.