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John McCain's son Jimmy weighs into Trump's Arlington Cemetery scandal with harsh words for the former president
The youngest son of the late Sen. John McCain has announced he is voting for Kamala Harris while admonishing Donald Trump over the incident at Arlington National Cemetery.
Jimmy McCain is just the latest in a long line of McCains to serve in the military. His grandfather and great grandfather – both Navy admirals – are both buried at Arlington.
McCain, 36, tore into Trump, whose visit to the cemetery on the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate terror attack continues to have ripple effects, following a report of a physical altercation involving a Trump campaing staffer there.
'The people who are buried there don't have an opinion,' he told CNN Tuesday.
'The point of Arlington Cemetery is to go show respect for men and women who have given their lives to this country. When you make it political, you take away the respect of the people who are there.
'I understand that he was invited. Show respect and leave. It doesn't need to be videoed,' he said.
Jimmy McCain (with mother Cindy and sister Meghan McCain), criticized the conduct of Donald Trump's campaign at Arlington Cemetery, calling to 'show respect and leave'
'It just blows me away,' McCain told the network. 'These men and women that are laying in the ground there have no choice' of whether to be a backdrop for a political campaign, he said.
'I just think that for anyone who's done a lot of time in their uniform, they just understand that inherently — that it's not about you there. It's about these people who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the name of their country,' said McCain, an Army intelligence officer who has served for 17 years in the military.
McCain recently switched his party registration from independent to Democrat. He has previously stayed out of politics, and cast his decision in personal terms.
'I feel that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz embody a group of people that will help make this country better, that will take us forward. And that's really what matters at the end of the day – voting with your heart, voting how you feel going forward, and that's how I feel.'
His mother, Cindy McCain, endorsed Joe Biden in 2020, despite his father's longtime Republican Party associations and stint as the party's 2008 presidential nominee.
Trump visited the cemetery on the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate attack that killed 13 Americans. His campaign says he was invited to be there by families. His campaign later posted a video of his time at the cemetery
Trump criticized famously mocked McCain's POW status, saying 'I like people who weren't captured'
Trump's cemetery trip continues to play out a week after it happened
His appearance on the network came on a day when Trump revived the Arlington Cemetery controversy in a post where he denied reports that a campaign aide fought with a cemetery official over the rules, which bar political use of the site.
‘There was no conflict or “fighting” at Arlington National Cemetery last week. It was a made up story by Comrade Kamala and her misinformation squad,’ Trump posted on his Truth Social Site, a week after reports on the incident.
Trump blamed Vice President Kamala Harris and said there were 'no fights.'
‘She made it all up to make up for the fact that she and Sleepy Joe have BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS for the INCOMPETENT AFGHANISTAN Withdrawal - THE MOST EMBARRASSING DAY IN U.S. HISTORY!!!’ Trump posted. He said it ‘could not have been a nicer moment-And there were no fights or problems, only in the heads of those that are destroying our Country!’
An Army spokesperson said in an official statement following the incident that, ‘Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds. An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside.’
During his televised interview, host Jake Tapper noted to McCain that his later father once aired a campaign ad featuring video of himself touring the cemetery - but that he immediately took it down and apologized.
Trump had a fraught relationship with McCain and famously mocked the prisoner of war status that made him a national hero, saying in 2015 that 'I like people who weren't captured.'
The younger McCain's declaration for Trump comes as the Harris campaign is seeking to court a sliver of Republicans who might cross over, featuring a group of them as speakers at the Democratic National Convention.
Former Republican Sen. Pat Toomey on Tuesday told CNBC he isn't voting for Trump or Harris, citing January 6 as the reason he won't back the Republican.