President Donald Trump continued his attacks on the late Arizona senator John McCain (R) today — this time complaining that he "didn't get a thank you" for approving his state funeral.
During an official White House event at an Ohio tank factory on Wednesday afternoon, Trump spent several minutes criticizing McCain, who passed away last August from brain cancer. The president's comments marked the fourth time in less than a week that he's lashed out at the former Republican senator.
"I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted, which as president I had to approve," Trump told workers at the factory in Lima, Ohio. "I don't care about this, I didn't get a thank you. That's OK."
"We sent him on the way, but I wasn't a fan of John McCain," he added.
Shortly after the president's comments, social media users flooded Twitter with jokes about the president's attempts to claim credit for McCain's funeral, with some pointing out that Congress is actually responsible for funeral arrangements in the Capitol.
"Trump now claims credit for the McCain funeral! He says 'as president' he had to 'approve' it," Harvard Law School professor Laurence H. Tribe tweeted. "BS! Lying in state at the Capitol was up to Congress, not POTUS. This despot has the gall to say a hero's burial is within his control. What a putz."
Democratic Coalition co-founder Scott Dworkin added: "Trump just attacked Senator McCain & his family again, because he says no one thanked him for McCain's funeral. Funeral arrangements in the Capitol were made by Congressional leaders. Trump had nothing to do with it. It's a new pathetic low for Trump & the spineless & silent GOP."
Meanwhile, other Twitter users ridiculed the president for expecting a thank you from a deceased person for approving their funeral.
"How was John McCain supposed to thank Trump for 'approving' his state funeral? He was literally dead for goodness sake," Eugene Gu wrote.
"I've gotta agree that it's pretty ungrateful of John McCain not to have thanked Trump for his funeral yet," Jerry Dunleavy wrote sarcastically.
And others just criticized the president for even going there.
Trump has gone after McCain several times in recent days, mainly over the former senator's 2017 vote against repealing the Affordable Care Act and his alleged part in providing the FBI with details from the Steele dossier.
"Spreading the fake and totally discredited Dossier 'is unfortunately a very dark stain against John McCain.' Ken Starr, Former Independent Counsel. He had far worse 'stains' than this, including thumbs down on repeal and replace after years of campaigning to repeal and replace!" the president tweeted on Sunday.
He later called McCain "last in his class" in another social media post.
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