WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - John McCain's wife has reacted emotionally to a derisive comment that a White House aide made about the senior Republican Senator's cancer diagnosis.
US media quoted White House Special Assistant Kelly Sadler as saying at a closed-door White House meeting of about two-dozen communications staffers on Thursday morning: 'It doesn't matter, he's dying anyway.'
Sadler was referring to McCain's opposition to President Donald Trump's nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel. The Arizona senator had urged the Senate to reject the nomination, citing Gina's refusal in testimony before Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday to acknowledge 'torture's immorality.'
Gina, who is currently CIA Deputy Director, struggled at her confirmation hearing to clarify what she would do if the president ordered her to reintroduce the water-boarding of terrorist suspects.
Apparently hurt by the White House official's comment, McCain's wife Cnidy took to Twitter. 'May I remind you my husband has a family, 7 children and 5 grandchildren,' she said, addressing Kelly Sadler adding her age (45) to her name.
The Hill reported that when asked for comment, the White House didn't deny that Sadler made the comment about McCain, but said, 'We respect Senator McCain's service to our nation and he and his family are in our prayers during this difficult time.'
The No 2 Senate Republican was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a very aggressive brain cancer, in July last year.
Doctors say he is responding positively to ongoing treatment.
McCain, who was re-elected to his sixth term in the Senate in 2016, served as an aviator in the US navy before entering politics.
The 81-year old Vietnam War veteran was almost killed in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX