Twitter erupts after Senator McCain ‘disinvites’ Trump to his funeral
Social media has been flooded with comments after Republican Senator John McCain demanded that US President Donald Trump be kept away from his funeral.
McCain, 81, who has been battling a brain tumor since his diagnosis July of 2017, shared some thoughts and, it appears, funeral plans over the weekend. Everything has been thought of, including the list of unwelcome guests. According to those close to McCain that list includes just one person: Trump.
Struck by the unusualness of this statement, some on Twitter suggested it would probably make little to no difference if Trump attended the funeral, as long as McCain attended himself, insisting that death couldn’t be used as an excuse to sanctify McCain.
What’s this craziness about @realDonaldTrump not making the list? Is John McCain actually sending out invites to his own funeral?
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) May 6, 2018
WHO CARES IF TRUMP IS NOT AT McCAIN'S FUNERAL AS LONG AS McCAIN IS THERE
— WE THE PEOPLE, CITIZENS & THE CONSTITUTION (@RealCharlieK) May 7, 2018
Insisting on the right to convert every US political leader into a heroic & noble saint upon death, while condemning critics as gauche & classless, is propaganda. It's easy to dismiss all the deaths McCain has caused because they're distant and invisible, but they still matter.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 7, 2018
The pair have a less-than-friendly relationship after Trump’s sarcastic remarks about McCain’s Vietnam past and the dispute over Obamacare. Yet some Twitter users mocked Trump for being the only one on the list of “undesired” guests.
Republican Senator John McCain is dying and he’s submitted a list of people he doesn’t want at his funeral. Here’s the full list:1. Donald J. Trump.
— TrumpDefined🦅 (@TrumpDefined) May 6, 2018
"McCain family lets White House know Trump not welcome at eventual memorial for ailing senator." / Help me out here, Trump wasn't welcome at the Bush funeral, either. Anyone ever hear of a Potus being unwelcome ANYWHERE?
— Margo "stable genius" Howard✍️ (@Margoandhow) May 5, 2018
While former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush are expected to make eulogies at any potential funeral for McCain, some Twitter users predicted that Trump would retaliate by disinviting McCain to his own funeral before killing himself to bring about those circumstances sooner than would otherwise be expected.
Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush plan to be eulogists at Sen. McCain's funeral, according to a source close to McCain. https://t.co/Tp5BSgm6uz
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) May 5, 2018
(Hears he isn't invited to Senator John McCain's funeral.)TRUMP: You wanna disinvite me? Well I'm disinviting you to my god damn funeral! (Jumps off cliff to his death.)Meanwhile back in Arizona.MCCAIN: It worked!!!!!(Get another medal.)
— Jeremy Newberger (@jeremynewberger) May 6, 2018
Others pitied Trump for being so unpopular, as they remarked on the lack of a formal invitation from Prince Harry to his upcoming wedding and the fact that his snub from a possible McCain funeral was without precedent. “Anyone ever hear of a POTUS being unwelcome anywhere?” one woman asked.
No wedding invite from Harry, no funeral invite from McCain, - 2 high profile events that don’t need the chaos and toxicity that Trump represents #goodriddance
— John Paul Morrison (@hiwy61) May 5, 2018
"McCain family lets White House know Trump not welcome at eventual memorial for ailing senator." / Help me out here, Trump wasn't welcome at the Bush funeral, either. Anyone ever hear of a Potus being unwelcome ANYWHERE?
— Margo "stable genius" Howard✍️ (@Margoandhow) May 5, 2018
However, McCain’s decision to disinvite Trump had also prompted some to point out that not everyone at the White House will be sorry about Trump’s absence, pointing out the enjoyable time First Lady Melania Trump and former President Barack Obama had at Barbara Bush’s send-off.
Sitting next to Obama, Melania was caught having a warm exchange that was widely discussed on social media. Smiling at each other, Obama and Melania created an impression of cracking jokes at a date, rather than grieving at a funeral.
Haven't seen Melania smile this much in years. She's happier with the Obamas at a funeral than she is with her husband in the White House 😂 pic.twitter.com/pz4WauDxjq
— Simply TC (@BienSur_JeTaime) April 22, 2018
It explains why some Twitter users couldn’t help expressing hope that Melania might looking forward to yet another funeral date with Barack Obama.
Apparently when Trump informed Melania that McCain didn’t want him at his funeral, she responded, “But I can still go, yes?”
— Ken Olin (@kenolin1) May 6, 2018
When Melania heard John McCain doesn’t want trump at his funeral, I wonder if she got excited about another date with obama?
— MommaT (@tweetmommybop) May 6, 2018
