Mulvaney: Sadler’s McCain Comment ‘an Awful Joke’ – ‘Disappointed’ It Was Leaked

On Saturday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Cavuto Live,” OMB Director Mick Mulvaney responded to White House aide Kelly Sadler’s comments about Senator John McCain (R-AZ) by stating the comment was “a badly considered joke, an awful joke that she said fell flat.” He added that he is “really disappointed that someone would undermine the president by leaking that out of a private meeting.”

Mulvaney said, “I think the remarks were awful. But let’s look at this in context, that was said in a private meeting, inside the White House. It’s not like — you might say something really nasty about me off the air, and it really doesn’t have that much impact. You come on-air and say it officially, now that’s a problem. This was a private meeting inside the White House. It was a joke. It was a badly considered joke, an awful joke, that she said fell flat.”

Mulvaney further stated he doesn’t think Sadler should be fired because “You have to have some freedom to speak in a private meeting, to speak candidly. We’ve all said things in private, especially in smaller groups that we work with, that we would never say publicly. I think she’s handled it appropriately. … I’m really disappointed that someone would undermine the president by leaking that out of a private meeting.”

He added, “This was a private meeting. It was clearly — the leak was designed to hurt that person. Also, completely ignored the harm it would do to the McCain family, which is doubly inconsiderate.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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