Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Thursday joined the chorus of Republican politicians denouncing comments Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy made about “the Negro” and government assistance.
McCain wasn’t among Bundy’s diehard supporters, but when asked to address the racially charged remarks the senator said Bundy must apologize.
“Apparently he made statements that are racist, and if I were him — I can’t advise anybody what to do, but if those were accurate quotes, then he needs to have an apology,” McCain told talk radio host Mike Broomhead on Phoenix’s KFYI.
After Bundy’s comments were published in the New York Times and widely condemned on Thursday, the rancher said the newspaper was “making it a racist-type thing“ and called for a retraction. He expanded on his views on race in America in a press conference later in the day but did not walk back his controversial comments.
Listen to the audio below, around the 10:45 mark: