McCain: Trump administration is in ‘disarray,’ has ‘a lot of work to do’
Feb 17, 2017, 7:03 PM
PHOENIX — Arizona Sen. John McCain told an audience at a German conference Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration is in “disarray” and has “a lot of work to do,” NBC News reported.
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s resignment over his Russian ties on Tuesday and Trump’s defense of Flynn at his first solo press conference on Thursday “shows that, in many respects, this administration is in disarray and they’ve got a lot of work to do,” McCain said.
This is not the first time the senior Republican senator has openly questioned Trump’s ties with Russia: On Tuesday, McCain said Flynn’s resignation “raises further questions” about the president’s intentions toward Russia.
But McCain, who is the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said he supports Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis, who called Russia the nation’s No. 1 security threat and accused Russian leader Vladimir Putin of trying to “break” NATO during his confirmation hearing in January.
Trump has repeatedly questioned the value of NATO, calling the military pact obsolete, and sought instead to stoke a relationship with Putin.
McCain said during the conference his job is to “work with the president on areas that we agree. On areas that we disagree, I’ll speak up and maybe, occasionally, be the subject of a tweet in the middle of the night.”
The senator reinstated that Congress and the Judicial Branch will exercise its full Constitutional responsibilities, as showcased after Trump issued an executive order banning travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations.
“Our Constitution says that our government is three, co-equal branches, the Judicial, Legislative and Executive,” McCain said. “And I can assure you that the Legislative Branch — and obviously, what we just saw on the immigration order — that both the Legislative and the Judicial branches will be exercising our Constitutional responsibilities.”
Mattis had already addressed the conference and Vice President Mike Pence and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly were are scheduled to give speeches. McCain’s prepared remarks can be viewed here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
