Sen. John McCain told “Late Night” host Seth Meyers Tuesday night that Americans should stop paying so much attention to every comment President Trump makes and start focusing on his actions.
The Arizona Republican praised the president on national security and for his order last month for a missile strike against Syria in response to Bashar Assad’s use of chemical weapons. He also expressed concern, however, that Mr. Trump doesn’t always listen to his advisers.
“I am very worried about that,” Mr. McCain told the talk show host. “Because sometimes I see him do things or say things that [indicate] he isn’t listening to them. But I know he respects them, and I know that he has pledged to rebuild our military, which is not in good shape now.
“So I think you have to almost say, ’Don’t pay so much attention to what he says as to what he does,’” he added. “Because I’m not going to react every time that the president makes some comment that I don’t agree with.”
Mr. McCain then criticized Mr. Trump’s budget, saying the steep cuts proposed for the State Department “does not restore the military” like the president had promised.
“We gotta have a State Department that can carry out diplomacy, respect for human rights, all the things that they should do,” the senator said. “So, it’s what he does, not what he says, and I want him to succeed. I want him to succeed. He’s our president.”
Mr. McCain said the budget is “dead on arrival” in Congress, causing the audience to cheer. He also slammed Congress for failing to “get our act together” to prevent a government shutdown.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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