Trump snubs John McCain in signing defense policy bill that bears senator's name

Gregory Korte | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump signs $716B defense policy bill President Trump signed a $716 billion defense policy bill named for Sen. John McCain after delivering remarks that failed to mention the senator. The measure boosts military pay by the largest amount in nine years and replaces aging equipment. (Aug. 13)

WASHINGTON – In signing a defense policy bill into law on Monday, President Donald Trump touted its price tag ($716 billion), its new military hardware (35 M-1 tanks, 77 joint strike fighters and 13 combat ships) and new raises for the troops (2.6 percent).

One thing he did not do, however, was to mention the name of the bill: The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.

The bill was named for the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Trump nemesis who is battling brain cancer.

"For those asking did I expect Trump to be an asshole today," former McCain speechwriter Mark Salter said on Twitter. "No more than I expected it to be Monday."

Trump and McCain, R-Ariz., have been feuding since the moment Trump announced his presidential campaign, when McCain took issue with Trump suggested that Mexican immigrants were "rapists" and "criminals."

At one point, Trump questioned McCain's service record, saying McCain was considered "a war hero because he was captured” – and that he liked “people that weren’t captured.”

McCain has been critical of Trump's stance toward Russia, and cast the deciding vote against a Trump-driven proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act last year. Trump referred to that episode later Monday at a campaign event in Utica, N.Y.

"One of our wonderful senators said thumbs down at 2 o'clock in the morning," he said to a smattering of boos.