John McCain the latest to pummel the Donald

U.S. Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, disagrees with 2016 GOP candidate Donald Trump about the character of Mexican immigrants, and doesn't believe Trump will sustain his surge in the polls.

Asked about Trump, the celebrity real-estate titan who has refused to back down from his June 16 comments that Mexican immigrants are bringing "drugs" and "crime" to the United States and are "rapists," McCain initially shrugged and said, "I don't pay much attention."

Responding to a follow-up question, McCain suggested he doesn't believe Trump will be able to sustain a burst of popularity among some Republicans following his entry into the race. Recent polls show Trump tied for second place in Iowa, home of the first 2016 caucuses, and in second place in New Hampshire, home of the first primary.

"I don't think so," McCain told The Arizona Republic after presiding over a town-hall-style event at CAE Aviation Academy Phoenix at Mesa's Falcon Field airport.

"I just disagree with his comments about the, quote, Mexicans."

Trump has faced a fierce backlash to the derogatory remarks. NBC and Univision are no longer broadcasting Trump's annual Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants and Macy's is dropping a Trump menswear line. But Trump has remained combative.

"I love the Mexican people, but Mexico is not our friend," Trump said in a Tuesday Twitter message. "They're killing us at the border and they're killing us on jobs and trade. FIGHT!"

McCain, who already has endorsed his friend and colleague, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, in the presidential race, had kinder words for other prospects in the crowded Republican field.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie officially announced his candidacy on Tuesday and intends to run a McCain-style campaign characterized by a blunt, tell-it-like-it-is style. Like McCain in 2008, Christie is expected to de-emphasize Iowa, where social conservatives hold greater influence, and instead focus on more centrist New Hampshire Republicans.

Asked if Christie could pull off the McCain-style strategy, McCain said: "I don't know, but I do admire Governor Christie. I appreciated his work as a Republican governor in a Democratic state, so I wish him well."

McCain also talked up Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race later this month. Kasich's team includes former top McCain strategist John Weaver and McCain's former ad guru Fred Davis.

"I think Kasich will be very viable," McCain said. "He's been a successful governor of a swing state. He's got a lot of experience. So I think he'd be certainly one of those who makes the top 10."

In other developments:

-- At the Mesa town-hall meeting, McCain reacted to the U.S. Supreme Court's Monday decision upholding the right of Arizona's Independent Redistricting Commission to draw congressional-district maps. The Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature had hoped to get the redistricting power back.

"I don't know how many people were disappointed," McCain said. "There was about 30 or 40 would-be members of Congress who were drawing their own maps."

Earlier in Tempe, McCain said he backed the commission, which was created by voters via a statewide ballot proposition. He said he didn't know if the Supreme Court decision would help or hurt his 2016 re-election effort. There was speculation that U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., might decide to run for the Senate if it appeared that her centrist U.S. House district might become imperiled. U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., who also represents a swing district, announced her Senate candidacy in May.

"I've always enjoyed competition and enjoyed vigorous campaigns," McCain told reporters. "I've always said, 'Come on in, the water's fine.'"

-- McCain this month will report raising $1.4 million in April, May and June and his 2016 re-election campaign had $4.5 million on hand as of Tuesday, his campaign told The Republic.

Kirkpatrick's second-quarter fund-raising numbers were not immediately available. The actual campaign fund-raising reports aren't due to the Federal Election Commission until July 15.

Nowicki is The Republic's national political reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @dannowicki and on his official Facebook page.