Meghan McCain slammed for telling Amy Klobuchar to 'leave my father's legacy and memory out of presidential politics'
Sen. John McCain famously ran for president in 2000 and 2008. But when it comes to the 2020 election, his daughter Meghan would like her late dad, who died in August 2018, to be left out of the conversation.
Though the View co-host has frequently referenced her father’s disdain for Donald Trump, she objected to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is vying for the Democratic nomination, sharing her own memories of the elder McCain criticizing Trump during his 2017 inauguration.
“John McCain kept reciting to me names of dictators during that speech, because he knew more than any of us what we were facing as a nation,” the Minnesota senator said during a stump speech in Iowa on Saturday. “He understood it. He knew because he knew this man more than any of us did.”
Klobuchar’s reference to her father prompted McCain to send a tweet imploring her to “leave my father’s legacy and memory out of presidential politics.”
On behalf of the entire McCain family - @amyklobuchar please be respectful to all of us and leave my fathers legacy and memory out of presidential politics.
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) May 27, 2019
Klobuchar responded to the criticism by having her campaign issue a statement acknowledging her “longtime friendship with Senator McCain.”
“She has defended him against President Trump’s attacks in the past, and she has deep respect for his family,” a spokesman said.
“While she was simply sharing a memory, she continues to believe that the best stories about Senator McCain are not about the views he had about President Trump: they are about McCain’s own valor and heroism.”
Meanwhile, McCain — who is often accused of name-dropping her father, with Saturday Night Live recently mocking her as the “princess of Arizona” — is getting some criticism of her own. Critics have said her request to Klobuchar is hypocritical, and claim that the late Arizona senator is fair game given that he was a public figure.
Or in a conversation about soup, or the weather, or the day of the week. She can’t go a full 24 hours without mentioning who her father was.
— Marcus Bell, PhD (@NewBlackScholar) May 27, 2019
I have never responded to a “celebrity” account in my entire life so I ask you to consider the profound gravity with which I say this: Please go away. Please, please go away forever and leave us alone, we do not deserve what you are putting us through
— Chris Conroy (@ConroyForReal) May 27, 2019
Meghan:
My father is John McCain
My father is John McCain
My father is John McCain
My father is John McCain
My father is John McCain
My father is John McCain
My father is John McCain
My father is John McCain
My father is John McCain
Also, Meghan:
Don't talk about my father— Bryan Fyock (@centerfluid) May 27, 2019
You bring him into literally every politically-charged discussion on your for-profit role on a TV SHOW
— Eve 6 (@pedi_ID) May 27, 2019
You literally bring him up on a political talk show almost every day.
Thank you for talking about my father Don’t talk about my father
Thank you for talking about my father Don’t talk about my father
Thank you for talking about my father Don’t talk about my father pic.twitter.com/6kp3DN4JPh— Jerry Avenaim (@avenaim) May 27, 2019
“Leave my father, *the presidential candidate*, out of presidential politics.”
— Tosy and Cosh (@tosyandcosh) May 27, 2019
If anyone is going to mention John McCain, it’s going to be Meghan McCain. How else is she going to get a job?
pic.twitter.com/IyxdQWfMXA— Pony Danza (@Thegraylawrax) May 27, 2019
Others defended Klobuchar.
Senator Klobachar was speaking of him in a highly respectful manner giving him credit for his knowledge of the situation this country is in under the current administration. Girl go away!
— Gwendolyn M. Bryant (@ghanaroyalty) May 27, 2019
I COMPLETELY agree. Meghan's not the only person who had a relationship with John McCain. He was a public figure and an American icon; he was many things in addition to a father. His Senatorial colleagues get to talk about their relationships with him too.
— Thinking out random (@AlsoGrateful) May 28, 2019
Some also accused McCain of playing politics.
But if she were Republican and stood for what you stood for it would be just fine.
— Amph (@back2cali) May 27, 2019
While McCain hasn’t directly responded to the backlash, she did “like” two posts from conservative talk radio host Guy Benson, who spoke out in her defense.
last time I checked, it’s @MeghanMcCain’s family.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) May 27, 2019
the one you deleted was better. And I somehow doubt you had a problem when Meghan unloaded on how Trump has invoked her dad. Either way, the McCains have every right to weigh in on how his legacy is invoked politically.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) May 27, 2019
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
Father of late boy, 9, whose memorial was vandalized on social media, forgave to 'heal and move on'
Veteran surprises man who saved his life in World War II at book signing
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