Differences in Obama's and Trump's statements on Senator McCain's death are causing outrage on Twitter

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By VT

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Yesterday, on Saturday August 25th, Senator John McCain passed away surrounded by his family at the age of 81. The renowned Vietnam veteran and presidential candidate succumbed to an aggressive brain tumour just a day after announcing that he would be ceasing treatment for the condition.

"My heart is broken," his wife, Cindy, announced on social media. "I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this incredible man for 38 years. He passed the way he lived, on his own terms, surrounded by the people he loved, in the place he loved best."

Others who were close to McCain have expressed their condolences on Twitter - though not everyone had something positive to say. Many people took to public forums in order to denounce the senator for war crimes and his opposition to public healthcare, with some individuals going so far as to send offensive tweets to the senator's surviving family members.

However, nobody's tweets have caused quite as much of a divide as that of the former president, Barack Obama and current president, Donald Trump.

In response to McCain's death, Obama shared an emotional statement which showed that - for all their political and personal differences - the 44th president had a lot of respect for his former political rival.

"Few of us have been tested the way John once was, or required to show the kind of courage that he did. But all of us can aspire to the courage to put the greater good above our own," he wrote. "Michelle and I send our most heartfelt condolences to Cindy and their family."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1033521851312623616]]

Meanwhile, Trump sent out a 21-word tweet that - had the name been changed - could have applied to literally anyone.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1033515425336885248]]

Considering that Trump and McCain were supposed to be political allies, many were surprised that the president was so cold in his response to a colleague's passing - especially considering that the likes of Hillary Clinton and other Democrats posted such heartfelt statements.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1033537315417800704]]
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/OhNoSheTwitnt/status/1033525622176395265]]
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/gilbertjasono/status/1033517390599016449]]

What's more, many were stunned to see that Trump's tribute to the Vietnam veteran on Instagram included a picture of himself, rather than the deceased.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts/status/1033575415154073600]]

This comes just hours after Trump claimed he did not regret mocking McCain earlier on during his presidential campaign, when he famously said, "[McCain is] not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured." Now, he will never get the chance to apologise to his fellow Republican.

It seems that McCain will have the last laugh in their feud, however, as, before he died, he requested that Trump is banned from attending his funeral. And, to rub salt into the wound, he also asked for Barack Obama and George Bush to read eulogies.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/Andrew_Adonis/status/1033673900008333312]]

The senator's family have disclosed that McCain will lie in state in Phoenix, Arizona, and then in Washington DC before his funeral takes place at the Washington National Cathedral. He is due to be buried in Annapolis, Maryland.

Differences in Obama's and Trump's statements on Senator McCain's death are causing outrage on Twitter

vt-author-image

By VT

Article saved!Article saved!

Yesterday, on Saturday August 25th, Senator John McCain passed away surrounded by his family at the age of 81. The renowned Vietnam veteran and presidential candidate succumbed to an aggressive brain tumour just a day after announcing that he would be ceasing treatment for the condition.

"My heart is broken," his wife, Cindy, announced on social media. "I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this incredible man for 38 years. He passed the way he lived, on his own terms, surrounded by the people he loved, in the place he loved best."

Others who were close to McCain have expressed their condolences on Twitter - though not everyone had something positive to say. Many people took to public forums in order to denounce the senator for war crimes and his opposition to public healthcare, with some individuals going so far as to send offensive tweets to the senator's surviving family members.

However, nobody's tweets have caused quite as much of a divide as that of the former president, Barack Obama and current president, Donald Trump.

In response to McCain's death, Obama shared an emotional statement which showed that - for all their political and personal differences - the 44th president had a lot of respect for his former political rival.

"Few of us have been tested the way John once was, or required to show the kind of courage that he did. But all of us can aspire to the courage to put the greater good above our own," he wrote. "Michelle and I send our most heartfelt condolences to Cindy and their family."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1033521851312623616]]

Meanwhile, Trump sent out a 21-word tweet that - had the name been changed - could have applied to literally anyone.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1033515425336885248]]

Considering that Trump and McCain were supposed to be political allies, many were surprised that the president was so cold in his response to a colleague's passing - especially considering that the likes of Hillary Clinton and other Democrats posted such heartfelt statements.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1033537315417800704]]
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/OhNoSheTwitnt/status/1033525622176395265]]
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/gilbertjasono/status/1033517390599016449]]

What's more, many were stunned to see that Trump's tribute to the Vietnam veteran on Instagram included a picture of himself, rather than the deceased.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts/status/1033575415154073600]]

This comes just hours after Trump claimed he did not regret mocking McCain earlier on during his presidential campaign, when he famously said, "[McCain is] not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured." Now, he will never get the chance to apologise to his fellow Republican.

It seems that McCain will have the last laugh in their feud, however, as, before he died, he requested that Trump is banned from attending his funeral. And, to rub salt into the wound, he also asked for Barack Obama and George Bush to read eulogies.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/Andrew_Adonis/status/1033673900008333312]]

The senator's family have disclosed that McCain will lie in state in Phoenix, Arizona, and then in Washington DC before his funeral takes place at the Washington National Cathedral. He is due to be buried in Annapolis, Maryland.