Bill Kristol on McCain: ‘There Was a Genuine Humility with John That Went with the Pride’ in What He’d Accomplished

TAPPER And you talked ░░░░░░░░ some of the fights ░░░░░░░░ waged And one of ░░░░░░░░ was the fight against ░░░░░░░░ in the Bush years ░░░░░░░░ it s a debate ░░░░░░░░ President Trump has renewed ░░░░░░░░ the idea that torture ░░░░░░░░ not be something that ░░░░░░░░ Americans do And he ░░░░░░░░ with authority because of ░░░░░░░░ he had been tortured ░░░░░░░░ It s an extraordinary ░░░░░░░░ because it s a ░░░░░░░░ position shockingly in some ░░░░░░░░ to demonstrate how tough ░░░░░░░░ are on our enemies ░░░░░░░░ be willing to do ░░░░░░░░ against them And yet ░░░░░░░░ McCain understood from personal ░░░░░░░░ not only that torture ░░░░░░░░ horrific and that it ░░░░░░░░ resulted in those being ░░░░░░░░ making stuff up just ░░░░░░░░ stop the torture that ░░░░░░░░ wasn t actually a ░░░░░░░░ tool but that it ░░░░░░░░ un American fundamentally even ░░░░░░░░ it was effective even ░░░░░░░░ it was not what ░░░░░░░░ do And he stood ░░░░░░░░ that principle even when ░░░░░░░░ caused him a lot ░░░░░░░░ grief And I remember ░░░░░░░░ and I when we ░░░░░░░░ with him in Vietnam ░░░░░░░░ the spring of 2000 ░░░░░░░░ had recently lost his ░░░░░░░░ for the presidency And ░░░░░░░░ time you tried to ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ Hanoi Hilton or we ░░░░░░░░ going to the monument ░░░░░░░░ he was his being ░░░░░░░░ down was celebrated by ░░░░░░░░ North Vietnamese he was ░░░░░░░░ very he didn t ░░░░░░░░ want to talk about ░░░░░░░░ and his own sacrifice ░░░░░░░░ he would usually joke ░░░░░░░░ it instead of acknowledging ░░░░░░░░ how gruesome it must ░░░░░░░░ been TAPPER And when ░░░░░░░░ was asked about President ░░░░░░░░ then candidate Trump denigrating ░░░░░░░░ war service saying I ░░░░░░░░ people who weren t ░░░░░░░░ he did not want ░░░░░░░░ apology for himself He ░░░░░░░░ say I don t ░░░░░░░░ I can take it ░░░░░░░░ President Trump or candidate ░░░░░░░░ should apologize to all ░░░░░░░░ other POWs out there ░░░░░░░░ they deserve better than ░░░░░░░░ CARPENTER Yes and I ░░░░░░░░ there s a lot ░░░░░░░░ talk was John McCain ░░░░░░░░ conservative in his presidential ░░░░░░░░ or not thereafter as ░░░░░░░░ conservative movement has changed ░░░░░░░░ And I think we ░░░░░░░░ to remember that his ░░░░░░░░ service shaped his world ░░░░░░░░ and his approach to ░░░░░░░░ values And with that ░░░░░░░░ a sense of duty ░░░░░░░░ service and a code ░░░░░░░░ conduct that I think ░░░░░░░░ would do well to ░░░░░░░░ upon today TAPPER Senator ░░░░░░░░ of course was one ░░░░░░░░ his proteges in the ░░░░░░░░ And I want to ░░░░░░░░ a listen to Senator ░░░░░░░░ sharing an emotional moment ░░░░░░░░ his best friend earlier ░░░░░░░░ year Do we have ░░░░░░░░ starts GRAHAM He is ░░░░░░░░ to his friends He ░░░░░░░░ his country And if ░░░░░░░░ has to stand up ░░░░░░░░ his party for his ░░░░░░░░ so be it He ░░░░░░░░ die for this country ░░░░░░░░ love him to death ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends TAPPER You ░░░░░░░░ the one that asked ░░░░░░░░ question Dana And Senator ░░░░░░░░ is not the only ░░░░░░░░ that feels that way ░░░░░░░░ John McCain in the ░░░░░░░░ BASH No TAPPER There ░░░░░░░░ a lot of people ░░░░░░░░ re going to talk ░░░░░░░░ a few a couple ░░░░░░░░ senators one a Democrat ░░░░░░░░ the next hour BASH ░░░░░░░░ That was a town ░░░░░░░░ that we did here ░░░░░░░░ CNN a couple months ░░░░░░░░ months into the Trump ░░░░░░░░ And the point was ░░░░░░░░ talk about how the ░░░░░░░░ Party deals with President ░░░░░░░░ But that moment you ░░░░░░░░ exactly right really does ░░░░░░░░ the depth of friendships ░░░░░░░░ John McCain had I ░░░░░░░░ it s even fair ░░░░░░░░ say that they they ░░░░░░░░ love affairs that he ░░░░░░░░ And the man he ░░░░░░░░ the manliest man and ░░░░░░░░ unafraid to talk about ░░░░░░░░ much he adored his ░░░░░░░░