In a notable shift, Jim McCain, son of the late Sen. John McCain, has endorsed Kamala Harris for President, signaling a significant departure from Republican ranks. Jim McCain, a US Marines intelligence officer, pointed to the Trump campaign’s actions at Arlington National Cemetery as a pivotal moment in his decision.
Jim McCain referenced an incident at Arlington where former President Donald Trump staged a photo op, which the US Army later deemed illegal. The incident reportedly involved Trump’s team physically assaulting a female staff member when she attempted to intervene. The staff declined to press charges due to fears of potential retaliation from Trump supporters.
“It just blows me away,” McCain expressed in an exclusive interview with CNN. “For anyone who’s done a lot of time in their uniform, they just understand that inherently — that it’s not about you there. It’s about these people who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the name of their country.”
The Party of Disunity
This endorsement underscores a growing rift within the Republican Party, particularly between traditional conservatives and the Trump-aligned far-right faction. Notably, groups of Republicans supporting Harris are gaining traction in Arizona and beyond, whereas similar Democratic support for Republican candidates has been less successful.
The tension between Trump and the McCain family dates back to 2015 when Trump dismissed John McCain’s military service, citing his time as a prisoner of war as a disqualifier. John McCain, a Vietnam War veteran, survived six years of imprisonment and torture after his aircraft was shot down in 1967.
Jim McCain reflected on his father’s legacy, stating, “The one thing I’ve known about my dad since the moment I could think, was that he was a good man and that he had done his part. And for me to be with him towards the end of his life, hearing things [from Trump] like, he was a loser because he was captured—I don’t think I could ever overlook that.”
Electoral Consequences Ongoing
The animosity between Trump and the McCain family persisted until John McCain’s death in 2018 and beyond, with Trump continuing to disparage him posthumously. This feud played a role in the 2020 presidential election, contributing to Biden’s win in Arizona, and in Kari Lake’s defeat in the 2022 gubernatorial race. Lake had previously claimed to have ended the McCain family’s political influence in Arizona, a statement that proved premature.
Jim McCain is the first in his family to endorse a candidate for the 2024 presidential race. His sister, Meghan McCain, has publicly stated her refusal to support either Biden or Trump. Their mother, Cindy McCain, endorsed Biden in 2020 and served in his administration before her appointment as executive director of the World Food Programme in 2023.
