President Donald Trump reportedly rejected sending out a statement praising Sen. John McCain, opting instead to write a short tweet.
According to the Washington Post, Trump nixed the statement, despite calls from his senior aides, including press secretary Sarah Sanders and Chief of Staff John Kelly.
The statement, drafted before the senator's death Saturday, would have commended the Arizona Republican for his military service and his decades in the Senate. It also would have called him a "hero." A final draft of the statement was ready for the president's approval, per the Post.
But Trump reportedly told his aides that he'd prefer to send out a tweet. In that missive, he was brief – and his words focused on the McCain family and didn't offer praise for the senator's legacy.
"My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain. Our hearts and prayers are with you!" the president wrote late Saturday.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain. Our hearts and prayers are with you!
7:44 AM - Aug 26, 2018
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White House aides went on to post official statements from others in the administration, including Vice President Mike Pence and others in the Cabinet.
The tweet capped off a strained relationship between the two Republicans. Before his death, McCain decided Trump should not be invited to his funeral – where former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush are expected to speak.
More: President Donald Trump's brevity on John McCain speaks volumes about their strained relationship