President Donald Trump insisted on Thursday that he played no part in any effort to move the USS John S. McCain, which was stationed in Japan near the site of a speech he gave last weekend. But the president said that whoever had asked that the ship be kept "out of sight" had been "well-meaning."
"I wasn't involved. I would not have done that. I was very angry with John McCain because he killed health care. I was not a big fan of John McCain in any way, shape or form," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House Thursday morning. "Now, somebody did it because they thought I didn't like him, okay? And they were well-meaning. I will say, I didn't know anything about it. I would never have done that."
Trump's second denial came after The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the White House wanted the Navy to move the ship named for the late Arizona senator, as well as his father and grandfather, "out of sight," citing an email between military officials. Trump initially denied any knowledge of the effort in a tweet Wednesday night.
But an email to Navy and Air Force officials, obtained by CNBC, had a number of directives, including: "USS John McCain needs to be out of sight," and asking officials to "please confirm" that directive "will be satisfied." A source with knowledge of the matter confirmed to CNBC the existence of that email.
The Journal said a tarp was hung over the ship's name ahead of Trump's trip and that sailors were directed to remove coverings from the destroyer that bore the McCain name. The newspaper also said sailors assigned to the ship, who generally wear caps bearing its name, were given the day off during Trump's visit to the nearby USS Wasp.
Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan later told reporters, "I would never dishonor the memory of a great American patriot like Sen. John McCain" by asking that the ship be kept out of sight.
"I'd never disrespect the young men and women that crew that ship. I've asked my chief of staff to look into the matter ... and as soon as I find out more about this I'll let you know," he added.
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