CLEVELAND ― Sen. John McCain made a point of staying away from Donald Trump’s ascension to the top of the Republican presidential ticket in Cleveland this week, but a visit to the Grand Canyon Wednesday didn’t get him far enough away.
Trump supporters found him, even there.
In a video sent to The Huffington Post, McCain is seen being confronted in a Grand Canyon shop.
“I’m gonna ask you... I mean we voted for you ― I don’t know why you aren’t at the convention,” said a woman who spotted him there.
McCain offered his standard answer to the disappointed Trumper.
“I’m campaigning. My time is better spent campaigning at home than being in Cleveland,” he said.
The woman was not satisfied, however, and can be heard muttering “I don’t believe it,” as McCain departs.
She’s probably right. Lots of other Republican senators facing tough re-elections are doing the same, such as Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire, staying away from a GOP presidential nominee that they think could prove toxic. Even Ohio Sen. Rob Portman isn’t attending the convention, taking a more McCain-like approach. He went kayaking in a photo op for a charity Wednesday. McCain has another problem, though. He still faces a primary challenge next month.
McCain seemed somewhat dismissive of the woman a couple of minutes later as he and his wife Cindy strolled along the rim of the canyon, which suddenly took on metaphoric dimensions for the divide between Trump and old-line Republicans.
“Trump supporter,” McCain can be heard muttering.
“Yeah, but she was nice,” Cindy responded.