On Saturday, Sen. John McCain died after suffering from a brain tumor. In response, the president looked through his closet and found his most funeral-appropriate middle finger.

Before passing, McCain made it clear that he didn’t want Trump to attend his funeral at all, requesting instead that Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush give eulogies in his place. But Trump, in a rare display of presidential behavior, made a lengthy statement from the Oval Office, praising the deceased senator for his heroism and political contributions. Ho ho, just kidding. He golfed and probably was just a terror to be around.

The Washington Post reports that he rejected a statement drafted by Sarah Huckabee Sanders, John Kelly, and other aides, calling McCain a hero and praising him for his service. Instead, Trump said he’d rather do a quick tweet.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain. Our hearts and prayers are with you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2018

On Instagram, Trump was equally respectful, posting the text of his tweet superimposed onto a picture of … Trump!

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

In the most subtle of rebellions, a number of administration officials have posted their own tributes to the senator in defiance of their petty papa, including, the Post reports, “the vice president, secretary of state, homeland security secretary, defense secretary, national security adviser, White House press secretary, counselor to the president, education secretary, interior secretary, and others.”

The White House flags were at half-staff on Sunday, but they’ve now been cranked back up to full-staff, the national mourning period seemingly over before it began. (It's customary to fly flags at half-staff until the person being mourned is buried. McCain will be buried on Sunday after laying in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, an honor that has previously been bestowed to only 31 Americans.)

The McCain-Trump rivalry is as old as a second grader and just as stubborn. In 2015, Trump criticized McCain, who fought in the Vietnam War, for being captured by the North Vietnamese. “He’s not a war hero,” Trump now famously said. “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured.” Meanwhile, Trump notably deferred the draft four times for college, and once for his grotesque feet.

Later, McCain would condemn Trump’s foreign policy, calling his joint conference with Vladimir Putin “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.” He continued: “The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naiveté, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate.” Then, weeks ago, Trump refused to say McCain’s name when signing the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act.

But the two men, contrary to public beefing, had much in common. McCain voted with Trump 83 percent of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight, notably supporting Trump’s tax bill and helping to get Neil Gorsuch confirmed to the Supreme Court. McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign—specifically his decision to run with far-right and generally bananas choice Sarah Palin—very likely paved the way for Trump winning in 2016. And the two shared the ability to manipulate the media. On Splinter News, Paul Blest writes:

“No one appreciated the media’s desire for a drama-filled narrative more than McCain himself; when the GOP nearly repealed the Affordable Care Act last year, he concealed his position until the moment he actually cast his vote. And before he voted to help sink the bill, he told reporters: ‘Watch the show.’ The ‘show’ was healthcare coverage for 22 million people.”

Plus, McCain seems to have been dedicated to his party over all else—had he resigned before May 30, his seat would have been on the ballot in November. As it stands, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey will name his replacement, who must be a Republican.



Joanna Rothkopf Deputy Editor Joanna Rothkopf is the former deputy editor at Esquire.com and a writer for Last Week Tonight.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io