Kelly Sadler, White House aide who reportedly mocked John McCain, is out

Christal Hayes | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption White House declines to condemn McCain remark The White House is refusing to condemn a staffer who said during a closed-door meeting that Arizona Sen. John McCain's opinion "doesn't matter" because "he's dying anyway." (May 11)

Kelly Sadler, the White House communications aide who was accused of mocking Sen. John McCain and his battle against brain cancer, no longer works at the White House.

"It doesn't matter, he's dying anyway," Sadler reportedly said last month about McCain's opposition to CIA nominee Gina Haspel at a meeting of White House communications staffers.

The comments, which were made in a closed-door meeting and leaked to The Hill, ignited a firestorm of criticism and calls for Sadler's firing. But she remained on staff for about a month. CNN first reported Sadler's departure, followed by Fox. Both cited anonymous sources. It's unclear if Sadler resigned or was terminated.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah said in a statement that Sadler "is no longer employed within the Executive Office of the President."

Shah's statement appeared to leave the door open on the possibility of Sadler taking on another role within the Administration or within Trump's campaign. It was unclear Tuesday whether either would happen.

Sadler's comments came in the aftermath of McCain urging fellow senators to reject Haspel's nomination because he thought she did not adequately answer for her role in the CIA's torture program after the 9/11 attacks during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Haspel was later confirmed to head the CIA.

Meghan McCain, the daughter of the six-term Arizona Republican senator, used her platform as a host of ABC's The View to defend her father.

More: 'This is not an administration that is capable of apologizing,' Meghan McCain says

More: Meghan McCain wonders how White House staffer who mocked her dad can 'still have a job'

More: 'He's dying anyway': White House official mocked Sen. John McCain, reports say

She said she didn't understand how the White House could be an environment where someone could make a comment like that and "can come to work the next day and still have a job."

On Thursday, Meghan McCain said she and her family have been targets of "extremely personal attacks" since the beginning of Trump's run for office. Back in 2015, then-candidate Trump infamously mocked John McCain just a couple months into his campaign, saying he preferred people who "weren't captured." McCain was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for five years.

Meghan McCain told viewers she had yet to receive an apology.

"I was promised an apology by Kelly Sadler, publicly, to my family," McCain said. "I did not receive that."

In the aftermath of Sadler's comments, the White House declined to apologize or condemn her remarks.

Instead, the Trump administration targeted those leaking information to the press.

In the days after the backlash, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News those who work in the White House should be loyal to the president and his agenda. She said she expected to see personnel changes due to the leaks, which she called "unhelpful."