Vance Claims McCain Wouldn’t Have Backed Harris After Seeing the Border

During a campaign event in Phoenix this week, JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate, expressed that the late senator John McCain would likely have opposed Kamala Harris if he were alive to witness the current situation at the US-Mexico border.

Vance noted, “One of the things I admire about Donald Trump is his ability to set aside personal grievances for the sake of serving the nation. I didn’t know John McCain personally, but I would imagine he shared that perspective.”

He continued, “I’m sure John McCain had his disagreements with Donald Trump, as did Trump with McCain. However, I believe that if McCain were alive today and observed what is happening at the southern border, he would not back Kamala Harris and the chaos she has caused.”

The Trump-Vance campaign has consistently characterized Vice President Kamala Harris, who has engaged with Central American nations to tackle the underlying reasons for migration, as the “border czar.” They hold her accountable for the unprecedented number of migrant encounters recorded at the U.S.-Mexico border last year.

Arizona, known as a battleground state, is home to a significant number of anti-immigration conservatives and many immigrants from Mexico. It serves as a critical testing ground for Trump’s campaign messaging surrounding border issues.

However, those familiar with McCain argue that Vance’s assertions miss the essence of McCain’s approach. Wes Gullet, McCain’s former state director, remarked, “John McCain was invested in finding a genuine solution to the border crisis rather than merely politicizing it.”

One of McCain’s final actions in the Senate was to sponsor a bipartisan border bill in 2018, which bore similarities to a bipartisan measure the Biden administration proposed. Notably, Trump had urged Republicans to oppose this bill earlier this year.

In a relevant turn of events, Jimmy McCain, the late senator’s youngest son and a military veteran, recently announced his support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. This came in light of Trump’s controversial Arlington National Cemetery visit, where he was photographed giving a thumbs-up near the graves of fallen soldiers.

Vance appeared to downplay that endorsement in his Phoenix remarks, stating, “I mean, who cares what somebody’s family thinks about a presidential race?” He further contended that support from family members of Democratic VP candidate Tim Walz for Trump was a more noteworthy story than Jimmy McCain’s endorsement.

McCain’s daughter, Meghan McCain, has also made her stance clear by stating she will not support Trump, while still identifying as a Republican. She emphasized her respect for the diverse political views within her family on Twitter, adding, “I love them all very much.”

Gullett, who once worked alongside McCain, pointed out that the opinions of the late senator’s family continue to hold significant sway in Arizona, especially as the state was flipped to blue by President Joe Biden in 2020.

John McCain often voiced strong criticisms of Trump, labeling him as “dangerous” during the 2016 campaign. The Arizona senator was known for issuing pointed remarks evidently directed at Trump, questioning his credibility as a patriot and labeling his views as “half-baked nationalism.”

McCain passed away in 2018 after battling brain cancer, and Trump was notably not invited to his funeral, which was said to be at McCain’s request. The tensions between the two were evident even earlier, as Trump had openly questioned McCain’s status as a war hero, stating, “He was captured. Does being captured make you a hero? I’m not sure.”

In a decisive moment in 2017, McCain cast a crucial vote halting the Trump administration’s efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.