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At a White House pool spray with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, White House staff tried to get reporters out of the Oval Office as Trump again refused to answer questions about John McCain.

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Trump said, “Thank you very much, very much. Thank you.”

Trump was asked, “Do you have any thoughts on John McCain? Do you have any thoughts at all on John McCain? Do you think John McCain is a hero?”

White House staffer, “Let’s go, keep moving.”

Reporter, “Nothing at all about John McCain?”

White House staffer, “Keep moving, let’s go, we’re finished.”

Trump has turned a presidential slam dunk into a self-inflicted wound

The easiest thing in the world for a president to do is a kind statement honoring someone of national or global significance who has passed away. In the case of a war hero, and regarded American hero like John McCain, it is even easier. McCain is a man who spent six decades of his life in public service. His life is one that lends itself easily to a generous public statement.

Only a buffoon could turn such a simple political moment into a scandal where they end up looking bad in the eyes of the country. Donald Trump has managed to screw this up. Trump could say that McCain was a great American and a patriot, and most of this would go away, but he refuses to do honor McCain in even the smallest of ways. Trump won’t sign an official proclamation lowering the flags to half-staff, he won’t issue an official statement on McCain’s death, and he won’t publicly speak out McCain or his legacy.

Trump is only making himself look bad, and it is getting worse with each moment that he refuses to pay tribute to John McCain.

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