President Trump will not attend the funeral for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who died Saturday from brain cancer, a spokesperson for the late senator confirmed to The Washington Post on Monday.
It had been previously reported that McCain did not want Trump, with whom he had a contentious relationship, to attend. Former Presidents Obama and George W. Bush are both expected to eulogize McCain at the funeral.
It was also reported that Vice President Pence has been asked to attend McCain’s funeral. The Hill has reached out to the White House and McCain’s Senate office for comment.
And former Vice President Joe Biden, a close friend of McCain’s, will speak at the senator’s funeral service in Phoenix earlier in the week.
McCain will lie in state at the Arizona Capitol on Wednesday before lying in state at the U.S. Capitol building.
He will receive a full dress funeral service at the National Cathedral later this week and will be buried at the U.S. Naval Academy, from which he graduated in 1958, on Sunday.
The White House has not released a formal statement on the 81-year-old senator’s death. Instead, Trump tweeted condolences to McCain’s family, avoiding praise of the senator.
Trump reportedly rejected a White House statement praising McCain. The White House briefly lowered its flags to half-staff before returning them to full staff less than 48 hours after McCain’s death.
Updated at 2:06 p.m.