The conservative commentator Michelle Malkin condemned "the ghost of John McCain" during her speech on Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

The audience at CPAC gave her a standing ovation for the line going after McCain, who died of brain cancer last year.

The conservative pundit Michelle Malkin railed against Republicans who she believes are not serious about combatting illegal immigration and condemned "the ghost of John McCain" during her speech on Friday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

She lamented that visa-overstay problems had not been fixed and said that "both parties are to blame." After some applause, she began listing Republicans she thinks are responsible for ongoing immigration issues.

"And yes, I'm looking at you, retired Paul Ryan. And yes, I'm looking at you, Mitch McConnell. And yes, I'm looking at you, Bush family. And yes, I'm looking at you, the ghost of John McCain," she said, pointing to the sky.

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Many CPAC attendees gave Malkin a standing ovation after the remark about McCain.

McCain, a combat veteran and longtime US senator from Arizona, died of brain cancer last year.

Malkin also made several other incendiary comments in her speech.

She said CPAC should not have invited Van Jones, a liberal commentator who was an official in the Obama administration, because he was "attempting to silence the right" and is associated with Color of Change, a liberal nonprofit organization that is in part funded by the liberal billionaire George Soros.

At the end of her speech, Malkin said, "Diversity is not our strength," an expression common among white nationalists.