Kelly Sadler, Aide Who Mocked John McCain's Cancer, 'No Longer Employed' by the White House
Three weeks after mocking Sen. John McCain‘s brain cancer diagnosis, special assistant and communications aide Kelly Sadler is out at the White House.
“Kelly Sadler is no longer employed within the Executive Office of the President,” White House spokesman Raj Shah confirms in a statement released on Tuesday.
It is unclear if Sadler resigned or was terminated or will be taking on a different role within the administration.
During a closed-door meeting in May, Sadler disregarded McCain’s opposition of President Donald Trump‘s nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel, saying, “It doesn’t matter, he’s dying anyway.” (Haspel was confirmed to head the CIA a week later.)
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McCain, 81, was diagnosed with brain cancer in July 2017 after undergoing a surgery to remove a blood clot above his eye last summer. He was hospitalized in December to treat side effects related to his cancer therapy.
Then in April, McCain underwent surgery and was hospitalized at Arizona’s Mayo Clinic for an intestinal infection.
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The White House had been strategizing an exit for Sadler for the last two weeks, according to CNN, which was the first to report news of Sadler’s departure.
Instead of condemning Sadler’s comments during those two weeks, the White House released a statement saying, “We respect Senator McCain’s Service to our nation and he and his family are in our prayers during this difficult time.”
The six-term Arizona Republican senator’s daughter Meghan McCain said she had yet to receive an apology from Sadler.
“I was promised an apology by Kelly Sadler, publicly, to my family,” Meghan, 33, said on The View on May 31. “I did not receive that.”
Meanwhile, McCain’s wife, Cindy, 63, tweeted at Sadler, “@kellysadler45 May I remind you my husband has a family, 7 children and 5 grandchildren.”
