Trump Resisted Keeping Flag Lowered Because He Thought McCain Coverage Was Excessive

on August 27, 2018 in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 27: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks on the telephone via speakerphone with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in the Oval Office of the White House on August 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. ... WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 27: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks on the telephone via speakerphone with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in the Oval Office of the White House on August 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. Trump announnced that the United States and Mexico have reached a preliminary agreement on trade. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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While he eventually agreed to lower the White House flag in honor of Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) passing again on Monday — after receiving criticism from veterans for only leaving the flag at half staff for the weekend — President Donald Trump was resistant to the gesture because he thought McCain’s death was getting too much news coverage.

According to people familiar with the situation who spoke to the Wall Street Journal, Trump thought the reporting on McCain’s passing, just one day after his family announced he would stop seeking medical treatment for his brain cancer, was “over-the-top and more befitting a president,” in WSJ’s words.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reportedly played a leading role in convincing the President to agree to lower the flags again and issue a proclamation on McCain’s death.

“It was 99 percent Sarah,” and partially Chief of Staff John Kelly’s influence that got Trump to change his mind, a senior White House official told WSJ.

The White House flags were lowered to half-staff on Saturday and Sunday, but Trump broke with precedent by not leaving them lowered until McCain’s interment. After receiving considerable backlash from members of Congress and veterans groups alike, the White House re-lowered the flags and Trump issued a proclamation. 

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Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for jmacaz jmacaz says:

    More like Trump googled McCain and had to go down 3 pages before he found anything negative about him, whereas the Trump negativity shows in the top 10 hits

  2. Avatar for docd docd says:

    In other words, he was jealous of the attention that McCain was getting.
    Wait for an EO that requires a presidential invitation to every funeral of anyone of note.

  3. Avatar for docb docb says:

    Jealous, petty, old , fat stubby fingered vulgarian, dotard…No surprise from the baby male…

  4. Mr President, the only fair way to settle this would be for you to die of brain cancer and for a research firm of your choice to do a study comparing your news coverage vs Senator McCain’s coverage. I am sure the WH staff would be willing to make this a top priority project. After the study, you would, of course, rise from the dead.

  5. If only Sarah could calculate the cost to HER reputation …

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