Appearing Saturday on CNN’s Axe Files, Cindy McCain reacted to recent happenings in Washington, D.C., saying the United States needs her late husband, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), “more than ever.”

On #AxeFiles on @CNN now, @CindyMcCain said “Oh, gosh. I — I think he’d be disgusted with some of the stuff that’s going on. I really do. I think he’d be — what he’d be saying was that he’d be railing against what’s going on,” emboldening other Rs to speak out. pic.twitter.com/BLQM7VwnD1

A transcript is as follows:

DAVID AXELROD: What would John McCain be saying right now?

CINDY MCCAIN: I think he’d be disgusted with some of the stuff that’s going on. I really do. He’d be railing against what’s going on. I think John provided a lot of cover for other members and when he would do it, they could get behind him. I’m not seeing a real rudder in the Senate right now.

AXELROD: Why do you think that is? It seems like there’s this sort of reign of terror about taking on the president and criticizing him.

MCCAIN: I think it has to do with re-elections and keeping their heads down. I’m not being critical, because I understand what it means to get re-elected. But, at some point, you have to do what you were elected to do — and that was represent the country as well as your local people. But I think John would be — I know he’d be terribly upset by this whole thing. He was upset before he died. He saw what was going on. I wish he were here, like all of us, I wish he were here. But we need him more than ever. We really do.