President Donald Trump did not respond on Monday to repeated questions from White House reporters concerning the legacy of Sen. John McCain.
“Why won’t you say anything about John McCain?” asked exasperated ABC News reporter Jon Karl after repeated attempts to get the president to respond to questions about McCain’s legacy throughout the day. Karl asked Trump ten times to say more about McCain’s legacy.
"Why won't you say anything about John McCain?"@jonkarl asked Pres. Trump ten times today to comment on Senator John McCain, who passed away this weekend at age 81. The president did not respond. https://t.co/HebITj8csN pic.twitter.com/iwKYhGRaNj
— ABC News (@ABC) August 27, 2018
White House reporters reacted sharply on social media after it was clear that the flags above the White House were no longer flying at half-staff in honor of the Arizona senator’s death.
Trump hosted four events with reporters at the White House today, including a phone call with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto discussing the renegotiation of NAFTA. But reporters appeared more interested in the president’s minimal response to McCain’s legacy.
Mr. President, any thoughts on John McCain?” Karl asked. “Mr. President, any thoughts about the legacy of John McCain?”
.@jonkarl: "Mr. President, do you have any thoughts on John McCain? Do you have any thoughts at all about John McCain? Do you believe John McCain was a hero, sir? Nothing at all about John McCain? OK." pic.twitter.com/82x4QP2Gbp
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 27, 2018
White House press aides loudly herded the press out as Karl and other reporters continued to shout questions.
“Was McCain a hero?” he asked as Trump was meeting with the president of Kenya. “Nothing at all about McCain?”
Standing about six feet from the President in the Oval Office, I once again asked the President about John McCain. Any thoughts on McCain? Anything at all about John McCain? Was McCain a hero? Nothing at all about McCain? He stared ahead and said nothing. pic.twitter.com/2TsPYohp9K
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) August 27, 2018
Standing about six feet from the President in the Oval Office, I once again asked the President about John McCain. Any thoughts on McCain? Anything at all about John McCain? Was McCain a hero? Nothing at all about McCain? He stared ahead and said nothing. pic.twitter.com/2TsPYohp9K
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) August 27, 2018
In the Oval Office just now I asked @realDonaldTrump if he had any thoughts on the legacy on John McCain. He heard me but did not answer. pic.twitter.com/reVwoJCMzV
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) August 27, 2018
Karl spoke warmly of McCain in a Sunday news segment, saying that the senator was “serving a cause greater than oneself” when he covered McCain’s presidential primary campaign against George W. Bush in 2000.
“I spent more time with McCain during that campaign than he spent with his campaign manager,” Karl marveled, pointing out that the maverick senator was “always on the record, always talking.”
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