Seemingly fed up with questions about something that President-Elect Donald Trump has said or done, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) bluntly told reporters at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday to simply stop asking him questions about the next occupant of the White House.
"I will not talk about President-Elect Trump," McCain said, as reporters pursued him just off the Senate floor following a lunch meeting of Senate Republicans.
One reporter had started to mention the subject of North Korea and Mr. Trump, when McCain cut her short.
"I will not talk about Donald Trump," McCain said, flashing the type of aggravation and tone of a parent who is ready to follow through on the threat to stop the car and make his kid walk the last mile home.
"I have the right to answer about anything that I want to answer, and anything I don't want to answer to," the veteran GOP Senator said.
https://cmgwsbradiojamiedupree.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/mccain-wont-talk-about-trump.mp3
While I had my microphone recording that sound for radio, I used my free hand to pull out my phone to record some video of McCain as well.
It wasn't the first time on Tuesday that McCain had expressed frustration about queries related to Mr. Trump, as earlier the Arizona Republican had been pursued in the halls of a Senate office building for a comment on a morning tweet about flag burning by the President-Elect.
"My time is devoted to trying to make sure this nation is secure, not to comment on every comment of Mr. Trump's," McCain said.
McCain though wasn't ready to boycott reporters, as he told us in a calmer moment that a finalized defense policy bill was almost ready for release.
"You'll see the results of it tomorrow," the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said.
"Can you give us any highlights?" one reporter asked.
"Nope," McCain said flatly.
And then, he was asked about Trump.
It probably won't be the last time the Senator gets a question on that subject.
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