Former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has finally spoken out publicly about not being invited to the now-deceased Sen. John McCain’s funeral despite being his loyal running mate during the 2008 election, which former President Barack Obama handily won, reports The Hill.
In an appearance on “Good Morning Britain” on Monday, the former Alaska governor said the funeral snub felt like a “gut punch.”
“I was kind of surprised to be publicly disinvited to the funeral,” said Palin. “I think that was an unnecessary step. [The McCain family] didn’t have to embarrass me and embarrass others. And it wasn’t just me, it was other good people from our campaign back in 2008 who were very, very loyal to Sen. McCain, and worked with him and for him for many years, and they weren’t invited to the funeral.”
Speaking to People in August 2018, an anonymous source said that the order to disinvite Palin most likely came from the senator’s wife, Cindy McCain.
“My guess is, it came from Cindy,” the source said. “She is very protective of John’s memory and legacy. She’s also a grieving widow. I think she wants to get through this as best she can. Donald Trump and Sarah Palin were not served official notice outright. I want to make that clear. It wasn’t a no-trespass order. They won’t be turned away by guards if they show up at the funeral.”
Stay-away messages were instead sent through intermediaries.
While people tied to the McCain camp understood Trump being disinvited, they were puzzled over the Palin snub. One source even told People that the pair “had a good friendship.” Though John McCain did say in the book, “The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and other Appreciations,” that he regretted choosing Palin as his running mate, she always maintained her loyalty.
Despite the snub, Palin gave a moving tribute to John McCain at the time of his passing. “Today we lost an American original,” she said. “Sen. John McCain was a maverick and a fighter, never afraid to stand for his beliefs. John never took the easy path in life — and through sacrifice and suffering he inspired others to serve something greater than self.”
She added, “John McCain was my friend. I will remember the good times.”
In the same interview with “Good Morning Britain,” Palin said she cannot see the Democrats winning the 2020 election given how radical the party has become, alienating the average American voter.
“The Democratic candidates have really dug themselves a hole, collectively as a party,” she said. “They’re seen as wackos over here nowadays because they are supporting those issues that certainly do not connect with the average man and woman in America: the families, the businesses, the foundation of our country.”
She continued, “They are radically anti-child. They are so pro-abortion. They’re pro-illegal immigration. They’re inviting and incentivizing illegal immigrants to come over here and we can’t afford to continue the programs that we have today, much less add people to the roles of the the programs.”