White House Staff Tried To Hide USS John S. McCain During Japan Trip To Avoid Provoking Trump

White House staff reportedly ordered the Navy Ship USS John S. McCain, an American warship anchored in Japan, to be hidden from President Donald Trump‘s view during his visit to the country. The request came without the president’s knowledge, with Trump tweeting that he was “not informed about” the ship’s movement.

The USS John S. McCain was rededicated after the death of late Sen. John S. McCain (R-Arizona) to include the senator’s name in addition to the names of his father and grandfather, who the ship was previously named for. McCain and President Trump were often at odds in recent years, with the senator becoming a favorite target for the ire of the president, even after McCain’s death in 2018. Trump repeatedly insulted senator McCain, a war hero who was taken captive during the Vietnam War, attacking his intelligence and calling him names such as “dummy.”

In what seems to be an attempt to prevent the president from embarrassing himself by making any insulting remarks towards the dead senator, the White House ordered that the USS John S. McCain be hidden before the president’s address at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan. An email from the White House reportedly read, “USS John McCain needs to be out of sight.” In order to prevent giving any fodder to the president’s quick temper, a tarp was placed over the name of the ship, and sailors were instructed to hide any mentions of the late senator’s name.

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Article by Daniel Knopf