Donald Trump, the current president of the USA, has a well-documented history of publicly criticizing the late Senator John McCain, spanning from his 2015 presidential campaign through McCain's death in 2018 and beyond.

Key Incidents

Trump's feud ignited in July 2015 during his campaign launch phase. He stated, "He's not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured," downplaying McCain's Vietnam POW experience where he endured torture for over five years. This drew widespread backlash but solidified Trump's unapologetic style, propelling his outsider appeal among some voters.

Even after McCain's death from brain cancer in August 2018, Trump escalated attacks in 2019. "I never was a fan of John McCain, and I never will be," he declared in the Oval Office beside Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, blaming McCain's thumbs-down vote against Obamacare repeal. Trump accused McCain of betraying promises on healthcare, claiming it cost the U.S. "a trillion dollars."

Ongoing Barbs

  • Tweets mocked McCain as "last in his class" at the Naval Academy (he ranked near the bottom, not last) and for allegedly leaking the Steele dossier to the FBI—unproven claims Trump revived repeatedly.
  • At an Ohio tank factory, Trump griped about McCain's funeral: "I gave him the kind of funeral he wanted... I didn’t get a thank you." He approved the military transport but noted Congress granted lying in state honors.
  • Trump criticized McCain's Iraq War support and VA reform efforts, calling him "not my kind of guy" despite approving his send-off.

Multiple Viewpoints

Trump Supporters' Take : Many view McCain as a maverick who undercut conservatives—like blocking Obamacare repeal despite campaigning against it. Trump's bluntness resonates as holding "RINOs" accountable; forums like Reddit's r/AskConservatives echo approval of his candor.

Critics' Perspective : Democrats and some Republicans, like Sen. Johnny Isakson, condemned the attacks as ungracious, especially post-mortem against a war hero. They highlight Trump's Vietnam deferments (bone spurs) contrasting McCain's sacrifice, seeing it as petty.

Media Context : Outlets like Politico and CNN frame it as Trump's pattern of feuding with establishment GOP figures, boosting his base while alienating moderates. No major 2025-2026 updates shift this; it's rooted in 2015-2019 events.

Timeline Highlights

  1. 2015 : POW comments spark feud.
  1. 2017 : McCain's Obamacare vote infuriates Trump.
  2. 2018 : McCain dies; Trump skips memorial.
  3. 2019 : Post-death barrage peaks.

Trump's rhetoric painted McCain as ineffective on policy and personal levels, fueling a rivalry that defined GOP divides. This saga trended periodically, like in 2024 clips recirculating old footage.

TL;DR : Trump's barbs focused on McCain's war hero status, Obamacare vote, academy record, and dossier—phrased as "not a fan" even after death.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.