Sarah Palin says being publicly disinvited from the funeral of her 2008 presidential running mate, former Senator John McCain, felt like a “gut punch.”
The move to not bring Palin to the services surprised many people at the time and showed that McCain wasn’t above taking his own petty swipes at people that didn’t necessarily deserve it.
In an interview on “Good Morning Britain,” Palin opened up about the incident with host Piers Morgan.
“I was kinda surprised to be publicly disinvited to the funeral. I think that was an unnecessary step,” Palin explained. “They didn’t have to embarrass me and embarrass others. That was all weird. I hope that doesn’t happen to other people. It’s kind of a gut punch.”
The McCain family also deliberately left out key members of the 2008 team for the funeral.
Sarah Palin said it was “a gut punch” to be “publicly disinvited” to @SenJohnMcCain‘s funeral: “Sarah Palin Speaks About Not Being Invited to John McCain’s Funeral.” (via @GMB) https://t.co/BMJKpdY1Q1
— Dan Nowicki (@dannowicki) April 2, 2019
Politico reported at the time that “three of the most prominent members of his 2008 presidential campaign — campaign manager Steve Schmidt, senior adviser Nicolle Wallace and longtime strategist John Weaver — were not invited to any of McCain’s services.”
Gut Punch – Again!
The phrase ‘gut punch’ might stand out to you. Palin has used it before when referring to the late Arizona senator.
In McCain’s final book before his death, he wrote that he regretted choosing Palin as his running mate and wished he’d picked Joe Lieberman instead.
Was it hurtful for Sarah Palin to hear that Sen. John McCain wishes he’d selected Joe Lieberman to be his presidential running mate?
“A bit,” says the former VP candidate, calling the news a “gut punch.” https://t.co/YneqJCQJfH pic.twitter.com/NGyVvU4mjs
— CNN (@CNN) May 11, 2018
The so-called maverick called the decision not to pick Lieberman “another mistake that I made” in his political career.
Hearing that felt “like a perpetual gut-punch,” Palin lamented, even as she brushed off a lot of the material as being from “his ghostwriter or ghostwriters.”
Palin Stays Classy
Even as she was publicly humiliated by the snub, Palin still penned a touching tribute to McCain after his death, calling him an “American original.”
“Sen. John McCain was a maverick and a fighter, never afraid to stand for his beliefs,” she said. “John never took the easy path in life – and through sacrifice and suffering he inspired others to serve something greater than self.”
“John McCain was my friend. I will remember the good times.”
By contrast, McCain’s political opponents frequently belittled his war record, mocked him for the injuries he suffered, scoffed at his age, and even compared him to a Nazi when he was the Republican nominee in 2008. Yet, Barack Obama was invited to the funeral.
The McCain family wouldn’t offer Palin an invitation purely out of spite, blaming her for his loss.
