McCain Takes Veiled Jab At Trump During Medal Ceremony
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WASHINGTON (CBSMiami) - The National Constitutional Center has bestowed upon Senator John McCain their Liberty Medal.
The six-term Republican senator from Arizona received the award Monday at the Philadelphia museum for his "lifetime of sacrifice and service" to the country.
During his speech, McCain made a veiled jab at President Donald Trump without mentioning him by name.
"To fear the world we have organized and led for three-quarters of a century, to abandon the ideals we have advanced around the globe, to refuse the obligations of international leadership and our duty to remain 'the last best hope of Earth' for the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems (applause) is as unpatriotic as an attachment to any other tired dogma of the past that Americans consigned to the ash heap of history."
McCain said he's humbled to join the ranks of past winners and that it's been his greatest privilege to protect and defend the Constitution.
McCain joined the Navy in 1958 and rose to the rank of captain during his 22 years of service. In 1967, his plane was shot down over Hanoi, Vietnam, during a bombing mission, and he spent years in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp.
Former Vice President Joe Biden presented McCain with the award.
Each year the Liberty Medal is awarded to men and women who work to secure liberty across the world.
