Meghan McCainon Monday joined many others in speaking out about an altered video screened at aDonald Trumpproperty showing the president killing his critics — including her late father, Sen.John McCain.
OnThe View, Megan, 34, warned the manipulated footage could incite real violence and slammed the president for his personal silence on the matter.
The video is a scene from the 2014 action filmKingsman: The Secret Servicewith Trump’s face superimposed over actor Colin Firth as Firth’s character massacres angry churchgoers — who in the video are labeled as various lawmakers, celebrities and news organizations.
“I don’t understand where we are culturally where entertainment is showing doctored videos of killing fellow members of Congress and people you’re working with every day,” McCain said. “Murdering of all politicians in any form is violent and could inspire violence. … We’re talking about actual, real-life people!”
In the video, in addition to the late Sen. McCain, Maxine Waters, Mitt Romney, Adam Schiff, Bernie Sanders, President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Rachel Maddow and the Black Live Matter movement were all shown as Trump’s targets.
According to theTimes, some of those attendees said they didn’t know about the video at time and do not agree with it.
President Trump has yet to speak out directly about the clip, spending Monday instead tweeting about his recent decisions in Syria, the impeachment inquiry against him and wishing former aide Sean Spicer good luck onDancing with the Stars.
However White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham did release a statement on Twitter on Monday saying that Trump had not yet seen the video “but will see it shortly.”
“Based upon everything he has heard, he strongly condemns the video,” Grisham wrote.
That didn’t sit well with McCain.
“I don’t care if you saw it or you didn’t see it. No event I’m going to, that would ever be accepted,” she said onThe View. “It’s violent, it’s disturbing. … It’s awful.”
“I’m sure Maxine Waters’ family feels the same way I do right now,” McCain also said. “We’re all sick of it. It’s a cultural issue.”
As for her father’s including in the clip, McCain noted wrly, “You can’t kill him again, but whatever.”
All of McCain’sViewpanelists agreed with her — a rare showing of solidarity for the diverse panel.
Whoopi Goldberg was first to note how similar the video was to the controversial photoshoot involving abloody image ofPresidentDonald Trumpwhich severely damagedKathy Griffin’scareertwo years ago.
From left: Sen. John McCain, Meghan McCain and President Donald Trump.NBC via Getty Images; Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic; Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
“Nobody liked it when Kathy Griffin did her thing,” Goldberg said. “What is the difference between these things? Either it works for the goose and then it works for the gander. This should be so insane to you. This is 2019!”
“We don’t want anybody thinking this is okay,” Goldberg added. “That’s why people came down so hard on Kathy Griffin.”
Griffin, 58, lost endorsement deals, a comedy tour and her longstanding gig as the co-host ofCNN’s New Year’s Eve coveragewithAnderson Cooperwhen a photo of of her holding up aHalloween mask of the presidentwith ketchup poured on it to resemble blood went viral.
Back in July, Griffin told PEOPLE she regretted how she didn’t consider how the photo might have affected people who lost their loved ones to terrorist beheadings, like the families of James Foley and Daniel Pearl.
But she also said she has more than paid a price and isdone saying “I’m sorry”for taking the divisive picture.
“I’m not apologizing,” said Griffin, who chronicledhow the photo changed her lifein her concert documentaryKathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story.
“I’m never going to be the biggest star, but I got back up,” Griffin said then. “I just want to make a living and make people laugh.”
source: people.com
