Trump attacks an old nemesis: ‘I was never a fan of McCain’

President Donald Trump heaped on another round of criticism against the late Sen. John McCain Tuesday in comments from the Oval Office.

The president’s latest criticism of the six-term senator from Arizona, who died Aug. 25 following a battle with brain cancer, came in response to a question from a reporter about why he continues to attack McCain seven months after his death.

McCain was unsparing in his criticism of Trump’s style of politics and policies, from the earliest days of Trump’s presidential campaign, drawing insult after insult from Trump.

“I was never a fan of John McCain, and I never will be,” Trump said Tuesday.

During his comments, Trump renewed his criticism of McCain’s historic no-vote in 2017 on a GOP proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Trump said that McCain “told us hours before that he was going to repeal and replace, and then for some reason — I think I understand the reason — he ended up” killing the measure and stopping the Republican push to undo the ACA.

“And frankly, had we even known that, I think we would’ve gotten the vote, because we could have gotten somebody else,” Trump said. “I think that’s disgraceful. Plus, there are other things. I was never a fan of John McCain, and I never will be.”

McCain and Trump’s feud dates to the summer of 2015, after Trump announced his presidential candidacy in a speech widely criticized for calling immigrants from Mexico “rapists” and drug runners. Soon after, the Republican senator distanced himself with Trump, saying he fundamentally disagreed with Trump’s comments.

The war of words between Trump and McCain’s family and supporters has continued since McCain’s death.