Story highlights Far-right leaders are attacking the President's national security adviser

Donald Trump last week expressed confidence in Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster

(CNN) Sen. John McCain on Monday slammed recent attacks on White House national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster and called on President Donald Trump to speak out against the right-wing campaign targeting the top adviser.

"The recent attacks upon (McMaster) from the so-called 'alt-right' are disgraceful. Since this fringe movement cannot attract the support of decent Americans, it resorts to impugning the character of a good man and outstanding soldier who has served honorably in uniform and sacrificed more for our country than any of his detractors ever have," McCain said in a statement Monday afternoon. "Such smear tactics should not be tolerated and deserve an emphatic response."

"I hope the President will once again stand up for his national security adviser and denounce these repugnant attacks, which arise from the same purveyors of hatred and ignorance who precipitated the recent violence in Charlottesville," McCain added.

McCain's statement came as far-right leaders pushed new lines of attack against McMaster, which ranged from claims that he's not a strong enough supporter of Israel to unfounded allegations that McMaster has a drinking problem -- the latter promulgated by the far-right blogger Mike Cernovich.

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