John McCain’s Widow Says the GOP Is ‘no Longer the Party That My Husband and I Belonged to’ – By Alex Thomas (IJ Review) / Sept 25 2019
Cindy McCain, who was married to the iconic Senator John McCain from 1980 until his death in August of 2018, said on Wednesday that the Republican Party is “no longer the party that my husband and I belonged to.”
Speaking on Politico’s “Women Rule” podcast, Cindy McCain said that she’s become disenchanted with the local GOP party in Arizona, saying, “On the Republican side, we see a local party in Arizona that’s not functioning well. And it’s excluding people. And it’s excluding people for the wrong reasons.”
McCain added, “If you’re not walking the line, then you’re out. That’s just not right. That’s not the party that my husband and I belonged to.”
She speculated, “I think we’ve seen the end of men like my husband,” adding later, “There’s lots of good people in the Senate and the House but I just don’t see anyone bubbling up to the kind of quality my husband had.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has also lamented the loss of McCain’s character, recently saying on the Senate floor, “There’s no John McCain anymore.”
This isn’t the first time that Cindy McCain has been critical of the modern Republican Party as it functions under Donald Trump. A few weeks ago she said that there isn’t a “voice of reason” the GOP. She has been one of the most visible spouses over the past few decades, partially because of John McCain’s unsuccessful presidential run in 2008.
One of John McCain’s last acts as a United States Senator was to famously shoot down the Obamacare repeal bill with a twilight vote that still infuriates Trump.
Since McCain’s death, Trump has constantly bashed the late lawmaker. He’s complained that he wasn’t thanked for John McCain’s funeral and when asked about reports that a boat bearing McCain’s name was hidden during a presidential visit, Trump said his people “know I’m not a fan.”
