Biden slams Trump for past criticism of ‘hero’ John McCain

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President Joe Biden hit out at Donald Trump on Thursday for his past repeated attacks on the late Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona).

The president sat down with reporter Nicolle Wallace to discuss a wide range of topics in an interview on MSNBC, during which he took a moment to talk about work across the aisle.

Wallace, who was a top aide to McCain during his 2008 presidential run, asked Biden how he imagined the decorated Vietnam veteran would feel about today’s Republican Party and its politics of more and more extreme.

I don’t think he thinks about it much, the president said, adding that he could not speak for the politician, who died in 2018 of brain cancer.

Biden has spoken of his deep connection to McCain, whom he met in the 1970s while working on veterans’ issues.

The late Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) worked with Biden in the Senate on veterans issues.

The late Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) worked with Biden in the Senate on veterans issues.

He remembers encouraging his friend to run for office, despite their political differences.

[McCain] started working with me when he came back… after being a prisoner of war, and I helped convince him to run, the president said of the senator, who was imprisoned in Vietnam for more than five years. And I laughed at him. I said, you gotta do it, damn it.

Biden added that even though the couple used to argue like hell, argue like brothers, they would still end up hugging each other in the end.

Although the duo didn’t always agree, the president reminded Wallace of how he defended McCain’s legacy against members of his own party, particularly former President Trump.

You may remember that I was very angry with the last president and even with my good friend Lindsey [Graham], sometimes because of denial of McCain’s heroism. Biden said, noting later, Come on, this guy was a hero! We may disagree, but he was a very honorable man.

Trump never quite masked his disdain for McCain.

“I have never been a fan of John McCain and I never will be,” said Donald Trump.

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In July 2015, then-candidate Trump downplayed the senators’ military careers. saying, Hes not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who haven’t been captured.

His irritation with McCain intensified after Arizona senators’ last-minute decision to vote against a Republican measure to dismantle the Affordable Care Act in July 2017.

Speaking about McCains’ cross-party vote during a 2019 White House press briefing, Trump said, I think it’s shameful. Besides there are other things. I have never been a fan of John McCain and I never will be.

Trump complained about McCain again in his 2023 coffee table book, Letters to Trump, in which he wrote, I Never Liked Him. I never felt good that anyone had anything to do with John McCain and never will, even despite the fact that at their request I gave him the longest funeral in the world, 11 days. Just like his wars, it never ended.

McCain’s memorial events lasted for five days, only one of which was held at the United States Capitol.

Biden served as one of the senators’ pallbearers during services at the National Cathedral in Washington.

McCain asked President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush to deliver his eulogies, while personally requesting that Trump not be invited to his funeral.

Watch Bidens’ full comments on McCain here:

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