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McCain is really not interested in talking about Trump
John McCain is really not interested in talking about Donald Trump
McCain: No comment on Trump flag burning tweet 01:31
Story highlights
- McCain reiterates he won't comment on Trump regarding his flag burning tweet
- The two have a rocky history
Washington (CNN)Republican Sen. John McCain said he's still done with questions about President-elect Donald Trump.
McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, was asked by CNN's Manu Raju about Trump's tweet about flag burning.
"I have not been commenting on Mr. Trump and I will continue not to comment on Mr. Trump," McCain told Raju.
On Tuesday, Trump proposed a penalty -- including possible jail time or loss of citizenship -- for burning the American flag.
"Nobody
should be allowed to burn the American flag -- if they do, there must
be consequences -- perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!" he
tweeted. The most recent national discussion on flag burning was
prompted by protests stemming from the election results at Hampshire
College in Massachusetts.
But McCain did provide his
opinion on flag burning: He doesn't approve but said the Supreme Court
ruled that people are "free to express themselves that way."
"I
think there should be some punishment, but right now the Supreme Court
decision is that people are free to express themselves that way. But I
do not approve of it and I think there's other ways for people to
express their views rather than burn a flag that so many Americans
fought and died for," said the Vietnam War veteran and POW.
When
asked about Trump suggesting people could lose their citizenship over
burning a flag, McCain reiterated that he would not comment.
"I
do not comment on Mr. Trump's comments. I am not and will not," he
said. "Because that's my choice ... I was just reelected by the people
of Arizona and during that campaign, I did not comment on Mr. Trump, I
will continue to not because I have to defend this nation. I'm the
chairman of the Armed Services Committee. We have all kinds of
challenges. My time is devoted to trying to make sure this nation is
secure. Not to comment on every comment of Mr. Trump's."
He also told a Huffington Post reporter on Tuesday to "tell all your friends" that he wouldn't be commenting on Trump.
McCain
and Trump had a rocky history during the 2016 election that began when
Trump said McCain "was not a war hero" because he got captured.
Since
then, the two have had a series of public back-and-forths that include
Trump initially not endorsing McCain for reelection in the Senate, and
McCain withdrawing his support for the then-2016 Republican nominee.
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