一白宮官員：麥凱恩反對中情局長人選無關緊要因爲“他將不久於人世”

A White House official has dismissed Senator John McCain's opposition to President Donald Trump's pick to head the CIA, saying "It doesn't matter, he's dying anyway." The 81-year-old Republican senator from Arizona is battling brain cancer.

Kelly Sadler, a special assistant in the White House communications office, is reported to have made the comment Thursday in a White House communications staff meeting.

Two people who attended the closed-door meeting and spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity said they felt "shocked and stunned" by the remark. The remarks have been confirmed by other media outlets.

The White House did not deny the remark. It issued a statement saying, "We respect Senator McCain's service to our nation and he and his family are in our prayers during this difficult time."

Thursday evening after Sadler's remarks were reported, McCain's wife, Cindy, posted on Twitter: "May I remind you my husband has a family, 7 children and 5 grandchildren."

McCain, who was tortured as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, issued a statement Wednesday urging the Senate to vote against Gina Haspel for CIA director. He said he believes Haspel is a patriot, but "her refusal to acknowledge torture's immorality is disqualifying."

McCain returned to Arizona in December after receiving a diagnosis of glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.白宮一名官員對麥凱恩參議員對川普總統的中情局長人選的反對不屑一顧，說：“這無關緊要。反正他將不久於人世。”81歲的共和黨籍參議員麥凱恩來自亞利桑納州，正在同腦癌作鬥爭。

據報道，白宮通訊聯絡處的特別助理薩德勒星期四在白宮通訊聯絡處一次工作人員會議上發表了以上言論。

當時在場參加會議的兩個要求不透露身份的人對美聯社說，他們感到“無比震驚”。美國其它媒體也就此事做了報道。

白宮沒有直接否認這段講話。白宮發表聲明說：“我們尊重麥凱恩參議員爲國家的服務。在當前的艱難階段，我們爲他及家人祈禱。”

薩德勒的講話被媒體報道後，麥凱恩參議員的妻子辛迪·麥凱恩星期四晚上在推特上發文說：“我想提醒你們，我的先生還有一家人，7個子女，5個孫子女。”

麥凱恩參議員在越南戰爭期間曾爲戰俘，受盡折磨。他星期三發表聲明，呼籲參議院投票反對哈斯佩爾出任中情局長。他說，他認爲哈斯佩爾是一名愛國者，但是由於她拒絕承認折磨是不道德的作法，因此不合格。

麥凱恩被診斷患有大腦膠質母細胞瘤後去年12月返回亞利桑納州。這是一種死亡率高的癌症。