President Donald Trump ordered the flag flying above the White House re-lowered to half-staff on Monday as a sign of respect for Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) and issued a proclamation praising his service "despite our differences on policy."
The White House flag had been at half-staff since Saturday evening following McCain's death, but it was returned to full-staff early Monday morning until a reversal in the afternoon.
"Despite our differences on policy and politics, I respect Senator John McCain's service to our country and, in his honor, have signed a proclamation to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff until the day of his interment," Trump said. "I have asked Vice President Mike Pence to offer an address at the ceremony honoring Senator McCain at the United States Capitol this Friday."
"At the request of the McCain family, I have also authorized military transportation of Senator McCain's remains from Arizona to Washington, D.C., military pallbearers and band support, and a horse and caisson transport during the service at the United States Naval Academy."
The proclamation stated the flag will remain at half-staff at the White House and upon "all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment."
Trump had, prior to Monday's statement, only offered a tweet offering sympathies to McCain's family following his death on Saturday from brain cancer. Trump rejected a more laudatory White House statement that praised McCain's war record and decades of public service, and he did not answered any shouted questions from reporters about McCain during multiple press availabilities on Monday, the Washington Post reported.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1033515425336885248
Trump's frosty history with McCain goes back years, but the most potent example came shortly after Trump began his run for president in 2015. He said McCain was considered a war hero "because he was captured" and said he liked "people that weren't captured."
He did not apologize for the remarks. McCain said in 2016 after the "Access Hollywood" tape emerged of Trump making crude remarks about grabbing women that he would not support him for president.
During his presidency, Trump repeatedly criticized McCain for torpedoing the "skinny" Obamacare repeal, and McCain ripped him for his foreign policy, particularly what he called a "disgraceful" summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.