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By Alex Johnson
President Donald Trump denied Wednesday night that he knew about a reported White House request that the military move the USS John S. McCain “out of sight” during his state visit to Japan this week.
The Wall Street Journal reported that it reviewed an email to Navy and Air Force officials dated May 15 that included the direction “USS John McCain needs to be out of sight.”
Trump has continued to criticize McCain, R-Ariz., a longtime political antagonist, even after the senator died more than nine months ago.
McCain’s eldest daughter, Meghan McCain, co-host of the television show “The View,” tweeted that Trump was “a child who will always be deeply threatened by the greatness of my dads incredible life.”
“Trump won’t let him RIP. So I have to stand up for him,” she continued. “It makes my grief unbearable.”
But Trump later tweeted, “I was not informed about anything having to do with the Navy Ship USS John S. McCain during my recent visit to Japan.”
The Journal reported that Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan was aware of the White House’s concern about Trump’s possible reaction to seeing the McCain “and approved measures to ensure it didn’t interfere with the president’s visit.”
In response to the White House request, according to The Journal, the Navy covered the ship, which has been under repair since it suffered a major collision in August 2017, with a tarpaulin before moving it, and sailors who may have been required to wear garb with the senator’s name on it were given the day off.