Meghan McCain: My father has been tougher on Russia than Trump

Meghan McCain on Tuesday rejected President Trump’s claim that nobody has been “tougher on Russia” than he has, pointing to her father Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) as someone who has long taken a harder line toward Moscow.

The comments from Meghan McCain, a co-host of ABC’s “The View,” came hours after the president asserted during a meeting with Baltic state leaders that “no one has been tougher to Russia than Donald Trump.”

“Except you know…my father,” McCain tweeted in response. 

Except you know…my father https://t.co/2JFhcrtKO0

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) April 3, 2018

Trump has long caught flak over his apparent reluctance to publicly criticize Russia even in the face of alleged aggressions by Moscow.

{mosads}

The president has, at times, dismissed concerns about Russia’s efforts to meddle in foreign elections, including the 2016 U.S. presidential race.

Trump joined more than two dozen other countries last week in expelling Russian diplomats as punishment for the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter on British soil. Western officials have blamed Moscow for that attack.

Still, Trump has not publicly condemned Moscow’s role in that attack himself, instead leaving such criticism to his aides, who have blasted the attack as “abhorrent.” 

McCain, on the other hand, has been outspoken in his criticism of Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin.

The Arizona Republican blasted Trump last month after the president congratulated Putin on his recent victory in Russia’s election, declaring that “an American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections.”