Story highlights Free press needed "to preserve democracy as we know it," McCain said

Trump called the US press "the enemy of the American people"

(CNN) Sen. John McCain slammed President Donald Trump's attacks on the media this week by noting dictators "get started by suppressing free press."

It was a startling observation from a sitting member of Congress against the President of the United States, especially considering McCain is a member of Trump's party.

"I hate the press," the Arizona Republican sarcastically told NBC News' Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press." "I hate you especially. But the fact is we need you. We need a free press. We must have it. It's vital."

But he continued, "If you want to preserve -- I'm very serious now -- if you want to preserve democracy as we know it, you have to have a free and many times adversarial press," McCain said in the interview. "And without it, I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. That's how dictators get started."

A clip of the interview, which airs in full on Sunday, was released Saturday afternoon.

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