Jimmy McCain, son of the late Senator John McCain, has condemned Donald Trump over an incident at the Arlington National Cemetery where a member of Trump’s campaign team allegedly shoved a staff member for trying to prevent them filming at gravesides. Critics say, however, that Senator McCain also made a video at the cemetery back in 1999 and used it as part of his Presidential bid in 2000.
An Army representative at the time publicly declared that McCain had not sought permission to film at the sensitive location, prompting the Senator to remove the footage from the final campaign ad.
Mr. Trump appeared at the cemetery on August 26 to mark the third anniversary of an Afghanistan bombing that killed thirteen American troops. Fierce criticism followed, particularly when photos of Trump smiling and giving a “thumbs up” next to a grave appeared online. Reports soon emerged claiming that a cemetery representative tried to stop the filming but was physically attacked by Trump’s team. The former President vehemently denied that claim.
Nevertheless, Mr. McCain described Trump’s actions as a “violation” and confirmed that he will vote for Kamala Harris in November. McCain, who served in the military for 17 years, told reporters that the men and women buried at Arlington had “no choice” about whether their final resting place appeared in political campaign footage.
The former GOP Senator’s son has joined a growing list of Republicans speaking out against Donald Trump and endorsing Kamala Harris. Among them is Trump’s former White House Press Secretary, Stephanie Grisham, who spoke at the recent Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Grisham said Mr. Trump had “no empathy, no morals, and no fidelity to the truth” and referred to his own supporters as “basement dwellers.”
Former GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger also spoke at the convention and said Donald Trump had “suffocated the soul of the Republican Party.” Additionally, more than 200 former staffers to Republican Presidents signed a joint letter saying a second Trump White House is “simply untenable.” The letter called on fellow Republicans to elect Kamala Harris and allow their party to move on from the Trump era.
