Groups to laud McCain’s ‘kind legacy’ at Trump’s July Fourth bash

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is unabashedly vocal in his criticism of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. The president has flung insults at the Vietnam War veteran for opposing elements of his policy agenda and has questioned whether McCain, who was once a prisoner of war, is a true hero.

Last month, the flames of this now one-sided rivalry were ignited again after a White House staffer asked the Navy to “minimize the visibility” of the USS John S. McCain during Trump’s Japan visit — though a senior Navy commander intervened and the ship was not moved.

Next week, Trump will be met with the USS McCain in a more subtle way.

A left-leaning political action committee plans to distribute T-shirts that depict the USS McCain during the national Fourth of July celebration on the National Mall.

Trump upended the traditional Independence Day celebration this year. The president himself intends to speak from the Lincoln Memorial. His administration enlisted two private fireworks firms to put on an extended pyrotechnics display worth $750,000. There will be military demonstrations and flyovers.

And thanks to VoteVets, a PAC that supports veterans’ issues, and Rags of Honor, a screen printing company that employs homeless veterans, there will be T-shirts commemorating McCain.

The groups are crowdfunding to raise money for T-shirt printing and are using the hashtag #FundTheShirt to gather support. The website fundtheshirt.com also asks for volunteers to help distribute shirts around the Mall and the House and Senate buildings on July 4 “to celebrate and honor a family of American heroes.” They hope to employ veterans to pass out the shirts at the celebration.

“While VoteVets and John McCain never much saw eye to eye on policy and probably still would not if he was around today, his family’s service to America spoke to that sense of realizing this nation is bigger than just one man,” Jon Soltz, the chair of VoteVets, said in a statement. “Honoring that kind legacy — especially of a political 9opponent) —seemed fitting for July 4.”

Rags of Honor founder Mark Doyle said his company is printing and shipping the shirts to Washington . He said the decision to put the USS McCain on the shirts “was totally apolitical — an opportunity to honor the McCain family and keep some veterans working.”

The White House did not return a request for comment.