Navy Had to Cover Ship Named After John McCain for Trump Visit
Donald Trump's recent trip to Japan involved a Memorial Day appearance at a U.S. naval base in Yokosuka—and, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, White House staff demanded that the USS John S. McCain be "out of sight" when the president arrived.
The ship is actually named for the late senator's father, but, as a recent CNN article points out, traveling overseas with Trump is a nightmare for his staff. He refuses to sleep, insists that all TVs in his presence are set to Fox News, and spends most of his time poring over media coverage about himself. So, to make things go smoothly, his staff will reportedly try to minimize things that will fluster him into losing focus, like, for example, seeing the name of someone he deeply disliked written in giant letters on the side of a ship.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the order was relayed in an e-mail to Navy and Air Force officials:
In addition to instructions for the proper landing areas for helicopters and preparation for the USS Wasp—where the president was scheduled to speak—the official issued a third directive: “USS John McCain needs to be out of sight.”
“Please confirm #3 will be satisfied,” the official wrote.
The late Arizona senator and Vietnam War veteran John McCain and President Donald Trump were never great fans of each other. During his presidential campaign, Trump said of McCain, "He's not a war hero. He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured." McCain, meanwhile, made it clear after his cancer diagnosis that he didn't want the president to attend his funeral. Trump is a monumentally thin-skinned person who nurses grudges forever, complains about perceived slights when he gives speeches, and even tried to revoke Barack Obama's security clearance just ’cause.
This new Wall Street Journal report suggests Trump's staff thinks he's so volatile that just the sight of McCain's name could make him lose it while visiting U.S. servicemen. Since the story came out, CNBC has corroborated it, saying that officials confirmed the e-mail's existence. But unfortunately for whoever gave that directive in the first place, the ship was undergoing repairs and couldn't be moved. So instead the name was covered by a tarp, confirmed by photos the Journal reviewed, and sailors who had the ship's name on their uniforms were given the day off.
In a tweet on Wednesday night, Trump claimed he had nothing to do with the literal cover-up, saying, "I was not informed about anything having to do with the Navy Ship USS John S. McCain during my recent visit to Japan. Nevertheless, @FLOTUS and I loved being with our great Military Men and Women - what a spectacular job they do!" He doubled down on Thursday morning, telling reporters, "Somebody did it because they thought I didn't like him. They were well-meaning, I will say."
So far, the only source that's denying the whole incident is the Navy Chief of Information's Twitter account, which posted, "The name of USS John S. McCain was not obscured during the POTUS visit to Yokosuka on Memorial Day. The Navy is proud of that ship, its crew, its namesake and its heritage." But that denial isn't very convincing. For one thing, it's the first time in more than five years that account has said anything at all. It also doesn't explain the photos The Wall Street Journal reportedly reviewed. And, most incredibly, it requires people to believe that the president is mature enough to not start ranting about a dead veteran he abhorred while making a Memorial Day speech.
Originally Appeared on GQ
