Throughout the election cycle, Donald Trump often clashed with members of his own political party over policy and tactics. A number of proposals by the controversial then-candidate were unsettling, and the tactics would put career politicians in uncomfortable positions. When Trump was a candidate, it was easier for politicians to disavow him. Believing he was never going to win made it easy to keep him at a distance. Now that he’s President, Republican politicians have been forced to come up to bat and play ball for Team Trump.

Some, like failed presidential candidate Senator John McCain, refuse to work with President Trump. What is Senator McCain’s issue with the President?

President Trump himself has earned a great deal of criticism for attacking critical news outlets and labeling them as being enemies of the American people. Journalists, anchors, and politicians all lined up to parrot shallow lines about the First Amendment being under attack and how a free, independent press is critical to democracy. There has been no shortage in the politicking and hyperbole.

Senator McCain himself took issue with the criticism and even implied President Trump wanted to be a dictator.

For all the concerns about uncomfortable tactics, Senator Paul believes there’s another issue in play and that the ongoing feud is personal. In a recent interview, the Kentucky United States Senator slammed his colleague’s repeated criticisms of the President. The issue for McCain, Senator Paul alleges, is the difference in foreign policy opinion.

As a candidate, President Trump lashed out at the Bush family and criticized former President George W. Bush over the Iraq War. He stood up against regime change and nation building as part of his overall America First agenda. This is in direct contrast to Senator McCain’s career of ambitiously supporting war and wanting to involve the United States military in any conflict the government can get its hands on.

Is Senator Paul correct?

President Trump isn’t without his own problems, but the constant attacks by Senator McCain appear personal, to a degree. Senator McCain has been a strong advocate for the military-industrial complex over the years. He has been a strong supporter of the endless War on Terrorism, a ploy to keep the war state alive. Along the way, he has also been a strong advocate for the invasion and occupation of Iraq, which cost the United States massively in more ways than one.

The President, on the other hand, has been critical of the Bush Administration, the War on Terrorism, and the Iraq conflict. The War On Terrorism has no clear objective and threatens to keep the United States forever engaged in foreign conflicts abroad, including in Iraq.

Democratic and Republican Presidents have long been apart of the war problem in America, with foreign aggression being a bipartisan objective. For decades, regime change both overt and covert has worsened global politics. Senator Rand Paul, who himself has been a consistent critic of war, is right to note Senator John McCain’s top priority is strengthening the war state.