Former McCain Aid: Trump “Doesn’t Care What Happens” to U.S.

> DEMOCRATS ARE HOPING ARIZONA MIGHT BE TURNING BLUE THIS YEAR.

THIS WOULD REFLECT THE BIPARTISAN VALUES OF THE LATE SENATOR JOHN McCAIN.

AND FEW KNEW HIM BETTER THAN MARK SALTER, HIS LONG TIME SPEECH WRITER AND CLOSEST AIDE.

HIS NEW BOOK THE LUCK YIFT MAN IS A MOVING AND CANDID LOOK AT HIS FORMER BOSS.

HERE HE IS TALKING TO WALTER ISAACSON ABOUT IT.

THANK YOU.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.

YOU HAVE THIS BOOK CALLED THE LUCKIEST MAN.

WHEN SENATOR McCAIN STARTED AS A LIAISON.

HE GOT TO BE JOE BIDEN AND A FEW OTHER SENATORS.

TELL ME ABOUT HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH JOE BIDEN.

HE DID.

HE GOT TO KNOW QUITE A FEW OF THEN.

HE WOULD ESCORT A LOT OF MEMBERS OF THE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE ON OVERSEAS TRIPS AND GOT TO KNOW QUITE A FEW MEMBERS.

HE AND THE VERY YOUNG SENATOR BIDEN, THEY WERE ROUGHLY THE SAME AGE OR CLOSE.

CLOSE, ANYWAY.

AND HE BECAME VERY FRIENDLY WITH JOE.

HE GOT TO KNOW BOTH BEAU AND HUNTER BIDEN, WHO WERE QUITE YOUNG THEN.

AND NOT FAR REMOVED FROM THE TRAGEDY THAT TOOK THEIR MOTHER AND SISTER.

AND THEY BECAME GOOD FRIENDS.

IT WAS JILL BIDEN WHO URGED JOHN TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF IN HONOLULU.

THAT'S WHERE HE MET HIS WIFE CINDY.

THAT'S CORRECT.

AND THAT WAS JILL'S ENCOURAGEMENT.

THERE WAS A STORY THE WONDERFUL JOURNALIST, THE LATE JOURNALIST BOB TALKED ABOUT ON A TABLE TOP ONE NIGHT IN ATHENS DANCING WITH JOE BIDEN'S TIE AROUND HIS HEAD.

THESE ARE THE TYPES OF STORIES WE NEED THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ELECTION.

THAT McCAIN, UNFORTUNATELY, I NEVER GOT TO SEE.

HE MUST HAVE BEEN A WILD MAN ONCE UPON A TIME.

AND HE AND CINDY GOT TO KNOW BEAU BIDEN AND HUNTER BIDEN PRETTY WELL, AND THE WHOLE FAMILY.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE AND WHAT DO YOU FEEL CHANNELING JOHN McCAIN AT THE ATTACKS THEY TRIED TO DO ON HUNTER BIDEN?

YEAH.

I MEAN, SOME OF POLITICS, BEAN BAGGING, AS THE EXPRESSION GOES.

YOU GET A LOT OF BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES OFTEN SUFFER THE MOST.

THAT SAID, NOT JUST DONALD TRUMP WHO IS A RECKLESS MAN WITHOUT A CONCERN FOR ANYONE ON THE PLANET OTHER THAN HIMSELF.

I'VE BEEN DISAPPOINTED BY OTHER REPUBLICANS IN ELECTED OFFICE WHO HAVE PITCHED IN TO WHATEVER HUNTER BIDEN HAS TO ANSWER FOR, HE'LL ANSWER FOR.

THERE ARE SOME UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS PEOPLE ARE MAKING AND TRAFFIC, BY SENATOR ROB JOHNSON, FOR INSTANCE.

WITHOUT A SHRED OF PROOF.

McCAIN WOULD HAVE BEEN APPALLED, ANGRY.

HE WOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

NO DOUBT.

WHY IS IT NO REPUBLICAN SENATORS HAVE STOOD UP AND DENOUNCED SENATOR RON JOHNSON FOR THESE ALLEGATIONS THAT ARE TOTALLY RECKLESS?

I DON'T KNOW.

IT IS SHAMEFUL THAT THEY HAVEN'T.

WHAT ABOUT LINDSEY GRAHAM?

CLOSE FRIEND OF McCAIN.

HE SEEMS TO BE COWERING THESE DAYS AS IF HE DOESN'T HAVE JOHN KNOCKING STIFFEN HIS BACK BONE.

WELL, HE WAS A CLOSE FRIEND OF JOHN.

JOHN LOVED HIM.

WHATEVER HE THOUGHT OF THE DECISION TO SO THOROUGHLY WILL HE SAID BRACE THE PRESIDENT, I THINK HE WOULD HAVE KEPT THAT TO HIMSELF.

HE FEEL HONOR BOUND NOT TO COMMENT ANY FURTHER ON LINDSEY'S BEHAVIOR.

I DISAGREE WITH IT, OBVIOUSLY.

I THOUGHT HIS ORIGINAL TAKE ON THE PRESIDENT WAS ACCURATE, THAT HE IS UNFIT TO HOLD THE OFFICE.

THAT'S BEEN BORNE OUT ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS.

IT IS VERY HARD THOUGH.

I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I'M NOT NAIVE.

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO TRIM YOUR SALES A LITTLE BIT.

I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I'M SURE HE JUSTIFIES IT BY SAYING THAT.

NOBODY CAN, I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE.

I DON'T THINK IT IS WORTH THE DAMAGE TO YOUR REPUTATION.

YOU TALK ABOUT SENATOR McCAIN'S REACTION TO TRUMP'S CRITICISM OF THE KHAN FAMILY WHO LOST THEIR SON IN IRAQ.

I WAS DRIVING HOME IN MAINE FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE.

I WAS ABOUT FIVE HOURS OUT.

AND HE CALLED ME.

AND HE STARTED SAYING DID I SEE IT, AND I HADN'T.

DO YOU SEE WHAT HE SAID?

DO YOU SEE WHAT HE SAID?

AND THEN HE EXPLAINED WHAT TRUMP HAD DONE.

AND HE SAID I WANT TO UNENDORSE HIM.

I WANT TO OFFICIALLY REFUSE TO ENDORSE HIM.

I SAID I'M FOUR OR FIVE HOURS FROM HOME.

I'LL DRAFT AND IT SEND IT OUT TO YOU AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

BY THE TIME I GOT HOLE, IT WAS AN EXTREMELY HARSH CRITICAL STATEMENT BUST TO HOLD BACK AND NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT WHETHER HE WOULD CONTINUE TO ENDORSE HIM OR NOT.

THE UPSHOT WAS HE WAS UPSET THAT HE DIDN'T.

SO WHEN THE ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TAPE CAME OUT, HE IMMEDIATELY UNENDORSED HIM AND REFUSED TO REENDORSE HIM FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE THE CAMPAIGN.

HE CALLED McCAIN IN WHAT WAS PROPOSED WAS A FENCE MENDING CALL.

HE WAS EXPECTING AN APOLOGY WHICH WAS NOT FORTHCOMING.

AND EM, THAT REALLY HURT.

HE SAID WHAT DID YOU REALLY HURT THEY WILL.

HE SAID IT WAS OVER THAT ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TAPE.

HE SAID THAT'S WHAT I REALLY UNENDORSED YOU OVER.

DO YOU THINK THAT JOHN McCAIN'S SELECTION OF SARAH PALIN AS A RUNNING MATE IN RETROSPECT ENCOURAGED THE GROWTH OF THIS POPULIST BACK LASH IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY?

AND THINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT IF HE HAD PICKED, SAY, JOE LEAN FOR A COALITION TICKET?

I THINK YES, I THINK HE SHOULD HAVE PICKED HIM.

AND SO DID HE.

AND HE SAYS THAT.

THAT THAT, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.

PROBABLY A LITTLE.

IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A TREND THAT WAS HAPPENING EVEN BEFORE 2010.

WE WERE TRENDING IN THAT DIRECTION.

IT WAS A PRECURSOR TO ALL THAT.

SHE WAS NOT PICKED FOR THAT REASON.

SHE WAS PICKED BECAUSE SHE HAD TAKEN ON THE OIL COMPANIES.

IT WAS A CHANGED ELECTION, THE ECONOMY WAS BAD.

PEOPLE WERE TIRED OF THE WAR.

KATRINA, THE NUMBER GOT TO ABOUT 88 AND WE WERE RUNNING AGAINST A GUY WHO PERSONIFIED CHANGE.

IN HIS VERY PERSON.

SO WE HAD TO GET SOME PIECE OF THE CHANGE MENTION AND THAT'S THE WAY HE AND OTHERS ON THE CAMPAIGN VIEWED THE SARAH PALIN BIT.

THE RISK THEY TOOK WAS SHE WASN'T READY.

AND IT TURNED OUT SHE WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT READY FOR IT.

I DON'T THINK IT COST THEM MORE VOTES THAN IT MIGHT HAVE EARNED HIM.

THE BASE WAS NEVER THAT ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT McCAIN BUT DID IT DAMAGE HIS REPUTATION A LITTLE BIT.

HE WANTED TO PICK JOE LEAN AS MANY KNOW.

AND PEOPLE LIKE ME, HIS AIDES, CONVINCED WILL HIM NOT TO BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE BLOWN UP AT THE CONVENTION AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN OPPOSITION TO THE PICK OF A PRO-CHOICE DEMOCRAT.

IT WOULD HAVE REALLY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DIVIDED PARTY.

SO HE WAS CONVINCED NOT TO DO THAT.

WE SHOULDN'T HAVE.

WE SHOULD HAVE LET HIM GO WITH HIS GUT.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM BUT IT WOULD HAVE CAPTURED AMERICAN VOTERS.

ARIZONA IS NOW A BEING STATE.

DO YOU SEE McCAIN'S LEGACY AS PART OF THAT?

YES.

AND McCAIN RECOGNIZED IT WAS COMING THAT WAY.

HE HAD GREAT APPEAL IN THE GENERAL ELECTION.

HE ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM WITH WHAT MIGHT BE VIEWED AS THE HARD CORE TRUMP AIDE.

BEFORE THAT, IT WAS THE ED MEACHAM BASE.

AS HE POINTED OUT IN EVERY IMMIGRATION, HE PUSHED HARD FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM OF THE HE WOULD POINT OUT 60% OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS IN ARIZONA ARE HISPANIC.

YOU CAN'T KEEP BASHING HISPANICS AND EXPECT TO HAVE A FUTURE IN POLITICS.

THERE IS A LOT OF MIGRATION FROM OTHER STATES, CALIFORNIA AND ELSEWHERE, AND THE STATE IS PURPLE AND TRENDING BLUE.

THE SAIL THING WILL HAPPEN IN TEXAS.

WE MAY BE SHOCKED ARREST TOMORROW NIGHT TO FIND OUT IT HAPPENED A LOT SOONER THAN WE EXPECTED IT TO.

WHEN TEXAS GOES BLUE, NO REPUBLICAN WILL BE ELECTED PRESIDENT AGAIN.

THE PARTY OUGHT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.

THE ROAD THEY'RE ON, THIS WON'T REVERSE THAT TREND LT.

TELL ME ABOUT McCAIN'S VOTE AGAINST THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND WHAT YOU THINK IT IMPORTANT TENDS FOR THE WAY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS THIS ONGOING BATTLE AGAINST HE THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.

WHEN McCAIN CAME BACK WITH HIG DICE NOTES IT IS AGAINST DOCTOR'S ORDERS, HE STILL HAD A HOLE IN HIS HEAD FROM BRAIN SURGERY.

AND HE MADE HIS REGULAR ORDER SPEECH.

THAT'S WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO GET AT.

HE SAID WHEN WE DO THESE THINGS BY ONE PARTY MUSCLING THESE THROUGH, THEY'RE NEVER PERMANENT.

THEY'RE ALWAYS SUBJECT TO THE NEXT ATTACK.

WHEN NUMBERS CHANGE IN THE SENATE OR A NEW PRESIDENT IS ELECTED.

IF JOE BIDEN IS ELECTED, OUT WILL GO DONALD TRUMP'S TAX CUTS.

AND THE BIDEN TAX BILL WILL TAKE ITS PLACE.

BECAUSE DEMOCRATS, I THINK THEY MADE A HALF HEARTED ATTEMPT TO WORK WITH REPUBLICANS.

I'M SURE SOME OF MY FRIENDS WILL FAULT ME FOR SAYING THAT BUT THEY PASSED IT WITH DEMOCRATIC VOTES.

IT IS ALWAYS SUBJECT TO BEING LITIGATED AFTER THE NEXT ELECTION.

McCAIN SAID IT WAS NOT SOMETHING, PEOPLE DISAGREED WITH IT.

IT WAS A REASONABLY WELL THOUGHT OUT HEALTH CARE ALTERNATIVE TO OBAMACARE.

THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE OUT KEY PARTS OF OBAMACARE AND NOT REPLACE WITH IT ANYTHING.

THAT WAS THE LEGISLATION ON THE FLOOR.

HE SAID THAT'S NOT WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR.

HE UNDERSTOOD QUITE WELL THAT EVEN THOUGH HE RECEIVED A TERMINAL DIAGNOSIS, HE WOULD HAVE THE VERY FINEST MEDICAL CARE AFFORDABLE IN THIS COUNTRY.

AND THAT MENT MEDICAL CARE WAS NOT AFFORDABLE TO EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD GET A DIAGNOSIS LIKE HIS AND THEY WOULD NOT GET THE TREATMENT HE HAD IF THEY WERE ENTITLED TO ADEQUATE HEALTH INSURANCE.

I WENT HOME FROM HIS OFFICE THAT DAY, NOT 100% SURE HE WOULD VOTE AGAINST IT.

REASONABLY SURE HE WAS.

HE DEBATED IT UNTIL HE GAVE THE THUMBS DOWN.

HE READ OUT LOUD THAT HEMMING WAY STORY HE LOVED.

THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO.

AT THE END OF IT, THE DYING PERSON SOARS HIGHER.

AND IT IS ALMOST AN ASPIRATIONAL ENDING THAT WE'RE ABOUT SOMETHING LARGER THAN OURSELVES.

I'M WONDERING IF YOU FEEL THAT IS A SENSE OF THE AMERICAN IDEAL AND WHETHER IT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE RESTORED IN AMERICA.

I HOPE SO.

THE TIMING OF THAT WAS SO UNUSUAL.

VERY LATE.

IT WAS THE AFTERNOON OF THE DAY OF THE SUBURB OF MINNEAPOLIS WHERE CONFRONTED HIS OWN SUPPORTERS WHO WERE QUESTIONING OBAMA'S PATRIOTISM.

HE PULLED A COLLECTION OF HEMMING WAY STORIES OUT OF HIS BRIEFCASE.

AND HE STARTED TO READ HIS FAVORITE STORY.

IT IS A LONG 9,000 WORDS.

IT TAKES OVER AN HOUR TO READ.

AND HE READ EVERY WORD OF IT.

BY THE TIME HE GOT TO THE END, THE PART YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

HE STARTED TO CRY.

REALLY VERY MOVING.

THERE IS JUST A SMALL GROUP.

CINDY WAS THERE, I WAS THERE, A FEW THE AIDES, AND WE WERE ALL TRANS FIXED BY IT.

IT IS AN ODD THING TO DO.

YOU KNOW WHAT A PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IN THE FINAL WEEKS ARE LIKE.

THEY'RE LIKE.

THIS YOU'RE BOUNCING AROUND, RALLY TO RALLY, DRINKING CRAPPY FOOD AND DRINKING POTS AND POTS OF COFFEE AND DRINKING TOO MUCH WHISKEY AFTER 1:00 OR SOMETHING.

IT'S NOT A SELF-REFLECTIVE TIME.

THAT WAS A FIRST FOR HIM.

THE PROTAGONIST IN THAT STORY IS LOOKING BACK.

AND MANY PEOPLE READ IT AS A STORY OF REGRETS.

GOING OVER THE CHOICES HE MADE AND WHEN HE'S MADE WRONG ONES.

IT ENDS ON THAT ASPIRATIONAL NOTE.

IT ENDS WITH LIFE.

YOU REDEEM YOUR DEFICIENCIES BY SACRIFICING FOR OTHERS.

THAT'S HOW IT IS DONE.

AND DO I THINK WE CAN GET BACK TO THAT?

I THINK IF PEOPLE, IF POLITICIAN RECOVER A PRAKT HUMILITY TO REALIZE, YOU CAN'T HAVE ALL YOUR OWN WAY.

YOU HAVE TO GET SOMETHING DONE IT ALLOWS TO YOU MAKE A LITTLE COMPROMISE.

I THINK THE COUNTRY WOULD THRILL TO THAT.

WE'VE ALIENATED VOTERS.

SO THE EXTREMES ARE ALL WE HEAR FROM ANYMORE.

WE THINK NO ONE IN WASHINGTON CAN GET THINGS DONE.

IT IS ALL JUST NONSENSE.

SO A CHARLIE TAN CAN STEAL EVERYBODY'S LUNCH MONEY WE'LL HAVE STOPPED BELIEVING IN MODEST PROGRESS.

A GOVERNMENT SYSTEM SET UP LIKE OURS IS ALL YOU CAN HOPE TO ACHIEVE BUT IT IS ENOUGH.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, 2 A LIFE HE WAS PERSONALLY GRATEFUL FOR.

AN ADVENTUROUS, FASCINATING LIFE.

AN IMPACT ON HISTORY THAT FILLED HIM WITH PRIDE.

HE ALSO FELT IT WAS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN HIM.

AND AGAIN AND AGAIN IN HIS CAREER.

I THINK HE PROVED THAT.

DO YOU THINK THAT THAT SENSE OF AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM IS WHAT IS AT STAKE IN THIS ELECTION?

CERTAINLY.

MOST CERTAINLY.

JOE BIDEN, I THINK, HAS THAT PRACTICAL HUMILITY WE TALKED ABOUT AND BELIEVES THIS COUNTRY STANDS FOR SOMETHING GREATER.

THE DESPERATE INTERESTS.

THERE'S MUCH MORE.

AND McCAIN BELIEVED THIS.

THAT WE HAVE MUCH MORE IN COMMON THAN DISAGREEMENT.

AND WE HAVE SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES.

THAT WE'RE FAIL TO UPHOLD.

SO YES.

I DO THINK SO.

DONALD TRUMP WON'T PUT THIS COUNTRY'S INTERESTS FIRST.

NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES HE SAYS AMERICA FIRST, IT IS ONLY DONALD FIRST.

HE DOESN'T CARE.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, HE DOESN'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS COUNTRY WHEN HE LEAVES.

IT IS ONLY HIM FIRST.

THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS.

WE'RE A BETTER COUNTRY THAN HE THINKS WE ARE.

WE'RE A BETTER COUNTRY THAN HE WANTS US TO KNOW.

AND WE'RE A BETTER COUNTRY THAN HE WANTS US TO BE IF HE'S REELECTED FOR FOUR MORE YEARS.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.