Sen. John McCain turned up the rhetoric on embattled President Donald Trump on Tuesday night, saying the building scandals that have put his White House in turmoil are now "Watergate size and scale."

McCain, R-Ariz., made the comments, which were first reported by the news website The Daily Beast, at a dinner in Washington, D.C., in which he accepted the International Republican Institute's Freedom Award.

"I think we’ve seen this movie before. I think it appears at a point where it’s of Watergate size and scale. ... The shoes continue to drop, and every couple days there’s a new aspect,” McCain was quoted as saying by the Daily Beast.

In the Watergate scandal of the 1970s, President Richard Nixon resigned from office when it became clear that he was facing impeachment and removal from office.

Two top Arizonan Republicans of the era — Sen. Barry Goldwater and House Minority Leader John Rhodes — delivered the grim news to Nixon in August 1974.

McCain, who has had a long-running public feud with Trump, for months has been calling for Congress to create a select committee to investigate Russian meddling in last year's presidential election.

For a week, Trump has been under severe criticism for his May 9 firing of FBI Director James Comey amid an FBI investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russians during the 2016 race.

On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that Comey had documented in a memo a Trump suggestion that he back off a probe of Michael Flynn, Trump's controversial former national security adviser who had links to Russia.

"I hope you can let this go,” Trump allegedly told Comey in February, according to the Times. The White House has denied the account, but the report has renewed allegations of abuse of power and possibly even obstruction of justice from the president's critics.

The latest twist came after the Washington Post reported Monday that Trump divulged extremely sensitive intelligence in a meeting with Russian officials.

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., wrote Tuesday in a Twitter message that "Congress needs to see the Comey memo."

In the conversation at the International Republican Institute event with former "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer, McCain recommended that Trump immediately "get it all out," per the Daily Beast.

"It'’s not going to be over until every aspect of it is thoroughly examined and the American people make a judgment," McCain was quoted as saying. "And the longer you delay, the longer it’s going to last."

McCain is identified on the institute's website as the organization's chairman.

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

READ MORE:

Classified info shared by Trump remains classified

White House denies trying to influence FBI probe

What we know about Trump reportedly disclosing classified info

Trump's sharing with Russia chills Israeli intelligence

Dems demand special prosecutor on Trump-Russia