Trump-McCain Feud Finally Ends After a Decade

A decade-long war of words between Donald Trump and the McCain family has finally come to an end. What started with Trump’s controversial 2015 remark—”I like people who weren’t captured”—about former POW and longtime senator John McCain has cast a long shadow over Republican politics for years. Now, thanks to an unexpected alliance, the feud appears to be thawing.

A History of Clashes

The animosity between Trump and McCain was no secret. When the senator passed away in 2018, Trump was pointedly excluded from his funeral. The then-president expressed outrage, reportedly fuming that he had not received a “thank you” for approving McCain’s state funeral arrangements. Meanwhile, McCain’s decisive “thumbs down” vote in 2017 helped block Trump’s attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a move that further inflamed tensions.

Meghan McCain, the senator’s outspoken daughter, never hesitated to return fire. She consistently criticized Trump, once calling him “a piece of sh*t, election-denying huckster.” Cindy McCain, John McCain’s widow, admitted in 2018 that she wasn’t sure she would “ever get over” Trump’s repeated attacks on her late husband.

The Unexpected Peacemaker: Tulsi Gabbard

Fast forward to 2025, and a surprising figure has emerged as the bridge between Trump and the McCain family—former congresswoman and recent Trump nominee for Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. A longtime critic of Democratic establishment politics, Gabbard has developed a working relationship with conservative media figures, including Meghan McCain.

Insiders reveal that Meghan, who is godmother to one of Gabbard’s children, played a crucial role in securing Senate confirmation for Trump’s nominee. “She called around to senators, lobbying holdouts, went on Hannity to defend Tulsi, and even wrote an op-ed for The Spectator,” said a political source.

White House Extends an Olive Branch

The efforts did not go unnoticed. According to Beltway sources, the White House personally thanked Meghan McCain for her role in rallying support for Gabbard. In a significant gesture, she and her husband, conservative commentator Ben Domenech, were invited to Gabbard’s swearing-in ceremony at the Oval Office.

“Their feud is definitely starting to dissolve,” said one insider. “Meghan has been supportive of parts of the MAGA agenda, even if she still has personal reservations about Trump himself.”

In a final sign of reconciliation, Meghan reportedly received a direct message of gratitude from Trump via an aide—a far cry from the bitter exchanges of previous years. While no one expects the McCains and Trump to become allies overnight, this moment marks a significant turning point in Republican politics.

Could this be the start of a new political alliance, or just a temporary truce? Only time will tell.