Transcript for Cokie Roberts: At McCain ceremony, 'we were aware of the person who wasn't there'

here to discuss McCain's legacy and how it stands in contrast to presidentrump, ABC nse white house corrndent, Cecilia ga, ABC ne' Kie roberts,nd chrisistie, an ABCs contributor and former governor of new jer going to you all. Good morning. Cokie, I with you. Our colleague here at ABC news on "The view." It reawas as if hn McCain waspeaking through Meghan. Will that mee echo thrgh the chamber? Pecially oe Republican side? It's hard B that -- it is so did, and it S a men. John McCain as you said, orated thelething, and he did have chuck Schumer and Mitch Mcconnell, tders of th sena sitting togr, Nancy Pelosi and Paul Ryan, the leaders of the house sitting togeth, and they go back and they have their own see them coming together, B was so strong I mean, it wasn't just Meghan. It weorge bushaying that our common humanity knows no borders and Barack obaking ablitics thaetends to be brave and tough is, in born of fear aware O the person who wasn't there. Aimed at president trump. Do you think he received T message,nd how do U think it was received? Tweeting throhout most of the service. Look. Ther no other Y to say this other than president trump was upstaged yesterday. Evyone who is anyone in ington exct Der hief, the rent sitting presidof this cotry, was side that church. I dod to know talk to my urces in the white house to know that that did not go over well him. I think the region is twofol we saw John Kelly, the chief of aff right there, towards the front of that ch we saw the secretary ofdefense, jimmattis. Als. Th bed to the same that John McCain serve,ntry before part lime of service, dithat role. We kthanders was essentially crng sitti O pins a neeeshis week when the esident gave his interview with Bloomberg and started to taut John mcca thine ful he was going to go there again, and embarrass this white as many people had said tthis ite house was the LE of the flag controvers refusing reportedly, toreleas a laudatory stoement Abo John McCain. But look, president trump is playing to Hise on this E. If saw Twitt yesterday, people came out against what Meghan McCain said aaw this asical. I don't think this is going to change. Hat was potical. It wasolical. It was emotional, but it was tical. And governor Christie, let's Yo the prest was golfg, heading for the golf course just as Meghan McCain was speak of John mccaiure. I think he understands the siicance of E passing Jo McCain, and quite frankly, I thinthat's what we should all be F this is part of the problem shd.c. It's the commentary hearing for the lasthours or since then, it's all about the the life of johnain, and, in fact, there were extraordinary tributes yesterday at we didn't hear Y clips ofefore we started speaking here, extraordinary thinhat were said by president bush 43, by president oblieberman O didn't rebuke president trump at all yesty in his rarks and focused on his Cain and the extdi at he was,hedinary sense of humor he had and his toughness, and his temper, a I catell you as a fr of John mcca this is a guy who when he was your friend, he was your friend I talkbost week, that when bridgegate first came onto the scene in '14, and the media was absoluly savaginme without wn McCain who picked he phone and ca M afrwards. He said, I have one question for you. To do th this? I said, absoly not, Jo. He said, good. Tell your people to me every TV show, ao defend youaracter. That's the guy I rbe at's the G they were talking about yesterday in thaedral, anduite frank, I think the tribute to John mccainuld be us talking about that. Next week we can talk abthe political ramificaristie, we have been tal about it all week and we have been certainly talking abthe heroism of John McCain and carried that live on saturdayit was megh McCain who got the most atteion yestery, and you have to know that Donald Trump was the elephant in the room at at memoriaservice. Soo K he has hed this well? The president oe United States no matter who that person is, is ahant in om when they are there. The fact is that the president of United States, no matter they are, is always bit figure american blic political life. He wasn'thet there. I understanthat was John McCain's -- that was ccain's dere, and hi desire should be respected. Pe who are N ied to a funeral ouldn't show up. That's not showingpect to Ed. Th'showing disrespect to the deceased. Good that the president dn't try to his way in there, ay the way,em of his fly were TRE to show the react of trump family. Jared ivanka we thernd at the Fu D so in a spul way. His chief of staff was T, John Kelly who understands J McCain's sacrifiecause he has had an even greater sacrifice himself living up his son for thountry -- defend this country. He is a gold star father. Here were lots of retatives ofhe trump administration there yesterday to show that this administrati has grt respect R John McCain, despite where political disagreements they may had over me. THAs very much governor Christie. Re anyone who picks he man of John McCain? There is no obvious person. Not a her the house. T there are people that try tohe work hes, and do it much more ietly because he was muunique in S way of approaching things. Theyend to be E women.th the senate particularly, are the people W rk across party lines Acal G something done. I was struals have had John mn ny of us have known lovingly, and sometimes not so lindecades. One of the most significant wasaid by one of the women whs L to into the capitol and she said, he never tweeted mething inead solving sething, an solving something is what we need to see more of.ilia, give Christie said, IST pretty much what preside will do in the coming weekit's behind will it empower president trum E? I think if people aoping to see Ange in tonan tenor fr this president, I can pretty met you'reot to see that.u didn't S that in T days after his passing or leading up to his passing. Ceon't think his funeral is going to anything I think "Tew yorker"pelled it out. Ything, ihinke'll start to see T T into a event. We have atrina Pierson the ident's long-time sure say, sorry, not ke americareat aga he wget over I I K it couldet ugly. It wareally something to see pem the last 50 yehington hierarchy tting together, Arties. Presidentsresidents, secretaries of state and not the president. It was anxtdinary memorial.anks, both of you, for coming to answer the challenge McCain

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