Trump goes after McCain over dossier for second straight day

President Trump on Sunday criticized late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for a second consecutive day amid reports that one of McCain’s associates had shared a dossier of allegations about Trump’s ties to Russia with the media.

“So it was indeed (just proven in court papers) ‘last in his class’ (Annapolis) John McCain that sent the Fake Dossier to the FBI and Media hoping to have it printed BEFORE the Election,” Trump tweeted. “He & the Dems, working together, failed (as usual). Even the Fake News refused this garbage!”

So it was indeed (just proven in court papers) “last in his class” (Annapolis) John McCain that sent the Fake Dossier to the FBI and Media hoping to have it printed BEFORE the Election. He & the Dems, working together, failed (as usual). Even the Fake News refused this garbage!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2019

{mosads}Fox News reported that newly unsealed court filings showed that a McCain associate had shared the dossier with the FBI and several media outlets.

The dossier contains numerous allegations, including some salacious claims, about the president’s ties to Russia. Many of the allegations are unverified.

Sunday marked the second straight day Trump went after McCain, who died in August after a lengthy battle with brain cancer.

The president on Saturday quoted former independent counsel Ken Starr, who called it a “very dark stain” against McCain that he had helped spread the dossier.

“He had far worse ‘stains’ than this, including thumbs down on repeal and replace after years of campaigning to repeal and replace!” the president tweeted, referring to the Arizona lawmaker’s vote against the GOP Senate majority during the Republican attempt to repeal ObamaCare in 2017.

Trump and McCain had a fraught relationship, with the Senate icon remaining one of the president’s staunchest Republican critics even after his cancer diagnosis.

The president previously went after McCain by suggesting he was not a war hero because he was captured while serving in Vietnam. He has repeatedly brought up the late senator’s “no” vote on a skinny repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and he waited to lower flags to half-staff following McCain’s death. 

McCain’s daughter, Meghan McCain, ripped Trump after his tweet on Saturday.

“No one will ever love you the way they loved my father…. I wish I had been given more Saturday’s with him. Maybe spend yours with your family instead of on twitter obsessing over mine?” she tweeted.

“My father lives rent free in your head,” she added on Sunday in a tweet that was later deleted.

This report was updated at 11:59 a.m.