Axelrod: Meghan McCain’s Eulogy Was ‘an Unmistakable Blow’ Against The Politics of President Trump

>> Joining us now David ░░░░░░░░ and Jeff Zeleny Jeff ░░░░░░░░ course is our senior ░░░░░░░░ House correspondent David was ░░░░░░░░ chief strategist for President ░░░░░░░░ s presidential campaigns and ░░░░░░░░ senior adviser in the ░░░░░░░░ House Jeff before we ░░░░░░░░ into the politics of ░░░░░░░░ that was said today ░░░░░░░░ want to get to ░░░░░░░░ reason Democrats and Republicans ░░░░░░░░ in that same cathedral ░░░░░░░░ Washington and that is ░░░░░░░░ honor the life of ░░░░░░░░ American hero a man ░░░░░░░░ dedicated his life to ░░░░░░░░ and to this country ░░░░░░░░ moment seemed to reverberate ░░░░░░░░ the church the most ░░░░░░░░ Ana I think there ░░░░░░░░ no question it was ░░░░░░░░ celebration of the patriotism ░░░░░░░░ the heroics and just ░░░░░░░░ life service of John ░░░░░░░░ I think you know ░░░░░░░░ are few characters in ░░░░░░░░ who are like John ░░░░░░░░ He was an American ░░░░░░░░ in every respect but ░░░░░░░░ think that in today ░░░░░░░░ very loud political moment ░░░░░░░░ you will the sense ░░░░░░░░ John McCain was giving ░░░░░░░░ bit of a parting ░░░░░░░░ in civility in comedy ░░░░░░░░ making one last effort ░░░░░░░░ try and tell those ░░░░░░░░ before him both Republicans ░░░░░░░░ Democrats that look it ░░░░░░░░ not have to be ░░░░░░░░ a divided moment here ░░░░░░░░ think what was so ░░░░░░░░ was the fact that ░░░░░░░░ McCain planned every movement ░░░░░░░░ in this service really ░░░░░░░░ the week And the ░░░░░░░░ that he wanted his ░░░░░░░░ rivals the two men ░░░░░░░░ stopped his dream for ░░░░░░░░ presidency to essentially tell ░░░░░░░░ story I think that ░░░░░░░░ volumes and you saw ░░░░░░░░ listening certainly in the ░░░░░░░░ You saw Senate majority ░░░░░░░░ McConnell a Republican sitting ░░░░░░░░ to Democrats there Chuck ░░░░░░░░ the Senate democratic leader ░░░░░░░░ I think throughout the ░░░░░░░░ labels were dropped for ░░░░░░░░ day at least as ░░░░░░░░ came together to celebrate ░░░░░░░░ McCain David is there ░░░░░░░░ moment that stands out ░░░░░░░░ to you AXELROD Well ░░░░░░░░ that searing searing eulogy ░░░░░░░░ you played at the ░░░░░░░░ of the hour excerpts ░░░░░░░░ it from Meghan McCain ░░░░░░░░ just overwhelming And you ░░░░░░░░ I think you saw ░░░░░░░░ of her father in ░░░░░░░░ remarks She was both ░░░░░░░░ and tough She talked ░░░░░░░░ him as a father ░░░░░░░░ a person but also ░░░░░░░░ about what he represented ░░░░░░░░ a leader and delivered ░░░░░░░░ know what was an ░░░░░░░░ blow at the prevailing ░░░░░░░░ of Washington and the ░░░░░░░░ of President Trump There ░░░░░░░░ a very tender moment ░░░░░░░░ when the Renee Fleming ░░░░░░░░ opera star sang Danny ░░░░░░░░ and just to watch ░░░░░░░░ McCain gently put her ░░░░░░░░ on her son s ░░░░░░░░ and dissolve into tears ░░░░░░░░ something that was really ░░░░░░░░ and obviously as Jeff ░░░░░░░░ the entire effect of ░░░░░░░░ day was to deliver ░░░░░░░░ message I said earlier ░░░░░░░░ week that senator McCain ░░░░░░░░ created kind of a ░░░░░░░░ communion here in which ░░░░░░░░ reconnected or he hoped ░░░░░░░░ would reconnect with the ░░░░░░░░ values of our democracy ░░░░░░░░ recognize that beyond party ░░░░░░░░ whatever ideological differences we ░░░░░░░░ are is this bond ░░░░░░░░ comes from the inheritance ░░░░░░░░ this democracy and that ░░░░░░░░ was made so so ░░░░░░░░ not just by the ░░░░░░░░ of the two presidents ░░░░░░░░ spoke but by their ░░░░░░░░ presence on the stage ░░░░░░░░ Jeff I want to ░░░░░░░░ more about the fact ░░░░░░░░ John McCain chose President ░░░░░░░░ and president George W ░░░░░░░░ to deliver eulogies He ░░░░░░░░ made a point to ░░░░░░░░ President Trump I do ░░░░░░░░ want you at my ░░░░░░░░ There was a lot ░░░░░░░░ thought that went into ░░░░░░░░ showed up who participated ░░░░░░░░ was or wasn t ░░░░░░░░ You have some reporting ░░░░░░░░ how he came to ░░░░░░░░ this decision and really ░░░░░░░░ fact of the matter ░░░░░░░░ he wasn t that ░░░░░░░░ with President Obama or ░░░░░░░░ Bush in his latter ░░░░░░░░ so it made it ░░░░░░░░ more I guess revealing ░░░░░░░░ he chose them No ░░░░░░░░ I mean this was ░░░░░░░░ necessarily a roster of ░░░░░░░░ McCain s closest friends ░░░░░░░░ on the high altar ░░░░░░░░ delivering eulogies Of course ░░░░░░░░ who was there was ░░░░░░░░ labeled in the program ░░░░░░░░ a friend and I ░░░░░░░░ they would all consider ░░░░░░░░ friends now but I ░░░░░░░░ it was so pointed ░░░░░░░░ poignant rather that senator ░░░░░░░░ reached out in early ░░░░░░░░ to both Barack Obama ░░░░░░░░ George W Bush and ░░░░░░░░ them directly and bluntly ░░░░░░░░ they would speak at ░░░░░░░░ funeral service and it ░░░░░░░░ something that you know ░░░░░░░░ didn t know when ░░░░░░░░ would happen obviously They ░░░░░░░░ t know when it ░░░░░░░░ happen but President Obama ░░░░░░░░ immediately President Bush of ░░░░░░░░ accepted immediately as well ░░░░░░░░ I think that I ░░░░░░░░ sort of struck by ░░░░░░░░ Obama was very honest ░░░░░░░░ this today when he ░░░░░░░░ talking in his address ░░░░░░░░ said that you know ░░░░░░░░ McCain liked to shake ░░░░░░░░ up He was a ░░░░░░░░ and I think that ░░░░░░░░ sheer fact that they ░░░░░░░░ asked to give his ░░░░░░░░ his life story was ░░░░░░░░ compelling but I think ░░░░░░░░ the day was also ░░░░░░░░ with a bit of ░░░░░░░░ and you know some ░░░░░░░░ moments and John McCain ░░░░░░░░ have liked that I ░░░░░░░░ struck by one remembering ░░░░░░░░ President Bush was talking ░░░░░░░░ the moments right before ░░░░░░░░ his final debate in ░░░░░░░░ 04 campaign and he ░░░░░░░░ I looked up and ░░░░░░░░ McCain was six inches ░░░░░░░░ from my face screaming ░░░░░░░░ relax and then President ░░░░░░░░ also was saying seldom ░░░░░░░░ day went by in ░░░░░░░░ presidency when John McCain ░░░░░░░░ not give him a ░░░░░░░░ or disagreement but he ░░░░░░░░ allowed that they had ░░░░░░░░ conversations and of course ░░░░░░░░ are differences in policy ░░░░░░░░ is you know always ░░░░░░░░ true But what s ░░░░░░░░ now is just the ░░░░░░░░ nature and the coarse ░░░░░░░░ There s just not ░░░░░░░░ bipartisan spirit So I ░░░░░░░░ that s what senator ░░░░░░░░ wanted to develop at ░░░░░░░░ for a day today ░░░░░░░░ me play a clip ░░░░░░░░ President Obama Listen So ░░░░░░░░ of our politics our ░░░░░░░░ life our public discourse ░░░░░░░░ seem small And mean ░░░░░░░░ petty Trafficking in bombast ░░░░░░░░ insult and phony controversies ░░░░░░░░ manufactured outrage It s ░░░░░░░░ politics that pretends to ░░░░░░░░ brave and tough but ░░░░░░░░ fact it s born ░░░░░░░░ fear John called on ░░░░░░░░ to be bigger than ░░░░░░░░ He called on us ░░░░░░░░ be better than that ░░░░░░░░ obviously you know Obama ░░░░░░░░ Those words carefully chosen ░░░░░░░░ assume Without question And ░░░░░░░░ think the other thing ░░░░░░░░ he said in addition ░░░░░░░░ those remarks which were ░░░░░░░░ a pointed reference to ░░░░░░░░ way our politics are ░░░░░░░░ now the way perhaps ░░░░░░░░ president operates is that ░░░░░░░░ talked about his relationship ░░░░░░░░ John McCain and the ░░░░░░░░ that they had deep ░░░░░░░░ but they never questioned ░░░░░░░░ other s motives or ░░░░░░░░ to understand that at ░░░░░░░░ end of the day ░░░░░░░░ were on the same ░░░░░░░░ that you know team ░░░░░░░░ as it were And ░░░░░░░░ I think above all ░░░░░░░░ was the message that ░░░░░░░░ McCain wanted to impart ░░░░░░░░ is that we can ░░░░░░░░ vigorously and still respect ░░░░░░░░ other as Americans as ░░░░░░░░ who care deeply about ░░░░░░░░ country that we don ░░░░░░░░ have to impeach each ░░░░░░░░ no play on words ░░░░░░░░ as human beings as ░░░░░░░░ simply because we have ░░░░░░░░ points of view and ░░░░░░░░ course he was famous ░░░░░░░░ having titanic battles on ░░░░░░░░ Senate floor and elsewhere ░░░░░░░░ people and still making ░░░░░░░░ know having warm friendships ░░░░░░░░ them Ted Kennedy for ░░░░░░░░ was a close friend ░░░░░░░░ whom he worked on ░░░░░░░░ issues and fought on ░░░░░░░░ other issues But never ░░░░░░░░ to respect and the ░░░░░░░░ and that was a ░░░░░░░░ regard and I think ░░░░░░░░ s what senator McCain ░░░░░░░░ really trying to communicate ░░░░░░░░ every little detail of ░░░░░░░░ whole week that was ░░░░░░░░ as I said as ░░░░░░░░ communion to try and ░░░░░░░░ us with those values ░░░░░░░░ Axelrod and Jeff Zeleny ░░░░░░░░ glad you could both ░░░░░░░░ with us. Thank you.