Dean Phillips, a Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives, asserted that Sen. John McCain only showed courage once he was diagnosed with brain cancer.
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Phillips, who is running in Minnesota, praised Senators Bob Corker, Jeff Flake, and John McCain, but lamented the fact that they hadn’t stood up to President Donald Trump sooner. In McCain’s case, Phillips said it “shouldn’t take brain cancer” for him to be courageous.
“I’ve been tweeting on occasion about saluting Bob Corker and John McCain and Jeff Flake – men who have shown a little bit of courage speaking truth to their own party,” said Phillips. “But it shouldn’t take brain cancer and the retirement from the Senate to do so.”
Phillips later apologized for the insensitive comment, but nonetheless tried to clarify his point.
“First and foremost, I apologize to Sen. McCain for referencing his health, which I should not have done,” Phillips said. “I greatly admire Sen. McCain’s service to our country as well as his courage, and have for a long time.”
“The point I was trying to make is that too many Republicans in Congress today — unlike Sen. McCain, Sen. [Susan] Collins and a few others — have shown a troubling lack of courage and willingness to stand up for their constituents, including when it comes to protecting their access to affordable healthcare.”
Phillips is running against Republican incumbent Rep. Erik Paulsen in Minnesota’s 3rd District.