Meghan McCain's fiery post sparks clash with Turning Point
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John and Meghan McCain on "The View" in 2017. Photo: Heidi Gutman/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
It's been seven years since John McCain's death, but Arizona Republicans are still fighting over his legacy — and his daughter, Meghan McCain, has had enough.
What they're saying: "Keep sh**ting on my dead dad and continue to see how this turns out for you guys in Arizona," McCain posted Sunday on X in response to criticism of her father from Turning Point Action COO Tyler Bowyer.
Why it matters: The social media spat illustrates the ongoing schism in the Republican Party and the staying power of McCain's legacy — whether it's celebrated or villainized.
Zoom in: Meghan McCain's comment came in response to Bowyer's recollection of a conversation he said he had with her father:
- "One time I was in a semi-public forum where we got to ask John McCain a question— mine to him was simple. 'Senator McCain, you have been in Congress since I was in diapers. I now have my second child in diapers, don't you think it's time to pass the torch?'" Bowyer wrote.
- Bowyer went on to say, "[McCain] then got sick and died in office, leaving a seat to be endorsed by his family to go to a Democrat as a protest to Trump."
Between the lines: Bowyer, who responded to Meghan McCain by saying he wasn't "sh**ting on anyone," added "the establishment lost both Senate seats here in Arizona," and "it's important for everyone to work together to win back what was lost."
- Meanwhile, McCain blamed Arizona's recent Republican losses on Turning Point for backing "fringe" candidates like Kari Lake and "completely misreading the Arizona electorate and population."
- "My dad has been dead 7 years. Arizona and the Republican party's current problems have nothing to do with him. When he died there were 2 Republican senators and a Republican governor," she wrote.
Flashback: During her failed campaign for governor, Lake asked at an event if there were any "McCain Republicans" in the crowd. "All right, get the hell out," she then told them.
- And after winning the 2022 GOP primary, Lake said, "We drove a stake through the heart of the McCain machine."
The bottom line: In her parting shot, McCain said it was time to turn the page and "stop exhuming his ghost instead of taking responsibility for your own failures."
- Turning Point USA did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.