Amid reports that an associate of the late senator John McCain shared the Russian collusion-alleging Steele dossier with BuzzFeed in 2016 and that McCain himself gave a copy to then-FBI Director James Comey, President Trump decided to pick a Twitter fight that he’s never going to win: A feud with a dead war hero and lion of the Senate.

"Spreading the fake and totally discredited Dossier 'is unfortunately a very dark stain against John McCain,'" tweeted the president Saturday, quoting former Clinton independent counsel Ken Starr. "He had far worse ‘stains' than this," Trump continued, "including thumbs down on repeal and replace after years of campaigning to repeal and replace!"

Trump followed with another attack Sunday morning, dubbing the 30-year veteran of the Senate "last in his class" John McCain.

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So it was indeed (just proven in court papers) “last in his class” (Annapolis) John McCain that sent the Fake Dossier to the FBI and Media hoping to have it printed BEFORE the Election. He & the Dems, working together, failed (as usual). Even the Fake News refused this garbage! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2019

McCain was indeed a poor student at the Naval Academy; while not last in his class he did graduate fifth from its bottom. The Senator was self deprecating about his academic record. "My four years here were not notable for individual academic achievement but, rather, for the impressive catalogue of demerits which I managed to accumulate," said McCain during a 1993 address at the Naval Academy. He’s now buried at Annapolis, after choosing to rest in a plot next to his long-time best friend rather than repose at Arlington National Cemetery.

Trump, meanwhile, was recently accused by his former fixer Michael Cohen of threatening his alma maters into silence over his own presumably poor academic record. During his Congressional testimony Cohen described Trump as "a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores.”

McCain and Trump engaged in a public feud during the Senator’s life. During Trump’s campaign, McCain rebuffed the candidate, criticizing him for his racism toward Latinos. Trump infamously disparaged McCain for being a prisoner of war, saying in 2015 that he liked "people who weren’t captured." Before he died of brain cancer last year, McCain made it clear to his survivors that Trump would be unwelcome at his funeral.



Meghan McCain, who's stepped in to defend her father before, responded to Trump’s Saturday attack via Twitter.

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No one will ever love you the way they loved my father.... I wish I had been given more Saturday’s with him. Maybe spend yours with your family instead of on twitter obsessing over mine? https://t.co/q7ezwmHiQ4 — Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) March 16, 2019

Gabrielle Bruney Gabrielle Bruney is a writer and editor for Esquire, where she focuses on politics and culture.

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