CNN host Jake Tapper questioned Sunday whether the bipartisan outpouring of tributes to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) following his death on Saturday could be attributed partly to President Trump being in the White House.
“I can’t help but think that part of the reason why there’s such reverence for [McCain] today is because of who’s in the White House right now,” Tapper said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “Because they are polar opposites.”
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Tapper later asked McCain’s fellow Arizona Senator, Jeff Flake (R), whether he thought McCain’s character would be missed “all the more” because of Trump’s presence in the White House.
“We’ve certainly needed John McCain’s voice over the past year. And despite the circumstances, we’ve had it,” Flake said, referencing McCain’s absence from the Senate this year while he received medical treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer.
“And I think that we could do with this kind of approach to politics, and we’d do well to remember John McCain and his legacy as we go forward. I know that that’s what he would like,” Flake said.
McCain, long seen as a giant of the Senate and a maverick within his party, was widely respected by lawmakers across the political spectrum.
Despite his absence from the Senate this year, McCain remained a visible figure in Washington. He frequently clashed with Trump on a variety of issues, including Trump’s trade policy and his rhetoric toward the media.
It was reported earlier this year that McCain did not want Trump to attend his funeral.