House Speaker Paul Ryan on Friday called ailing Sen. John McCain "a hero, no two ways about it" despite attacks by a White House staffer over his opposition to Gina Haspel as CIA director.
"John McCain, he gave his entire adult life for this country," the Wisconsin Republican told CNN's S.E. Cupp in an interview to be aired Monday.
"John McCain fought for us in Vietnam, was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, came home and dedicated his life to public service," Ryan said of the six-term Arizona Republican senator.
"His vocation in life was making life better for people and better for the country.
"There are so many accolades I could heap on to John McCain, but I know John very well," he said.
The White House aide, Kelly Sadler, commented that "it doesn't matter; he's dying anyway," during a private meeting Thursday with other communication officers as they discussed McCain's opposition to Haspel.
The White House has not denied the reports, and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Sadler was at work on Friday.
McCain, 81, who is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, opposed Haspel's nomination Wednesday after she testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The senator's daughter, Meghan McCain, on Friday urged people not to feel bad for her or her family in light of Sadler's remark.
"We're really strong," she said on "The View," where she is a co-host. "There is so much more love and prayer and amazing energy being generated towards us than anything negative at all, and I feel so blessed."
Sadler, who in charge of surrogate communications, apologized to Meghan McCain for her remark, Fox News reported Friday.
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