DNC 2020: John McCain's widow Cindy remembers Biden's long friendship with the late Republican senator
The late John McCain’s memory was revived at the ongoing Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, August 18, when his widow Cindy McCain spoke for presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden and recalled his friendship with the former Republican senator from Arizona.
The DNC released a moving video with details about the "unlikely friendship" between Biden and McCain who died from cancer on August 25, 2018, just four days before turning 82. On Tuesday, Cindy tweeted about the video and the invitation she got from the Biden camp to take part in it saying: "My husband and Vice President Biden enjoyed a 30+ year friendship dating back to before their years serving together in the Senate, so I was honored to accept the invitation from the Biden campaign to participate in a video celebrating their relationship."
My husband and Vice President Biden enjoyed a 30+ year friendship dating back to before their years serving together in the Senate, so I was honored to accept the invitation from the Biden campaign to participate in a video celebrating their relationship.https://t.co/Y6XOnBC1IW
— Cindy McCain (@cindymccain) August 18, 2020
Though she did not appear at the convention, she ensured that her voice was heard. The 66-year-old, who got married to John McCain in 1980, became one of the many Republicans who joined the Democratic gathering to back Biden and not their own party nominee — President Donald Trump.
The other GOP members who have agreed to attend the Democratic convention include former Ohio governor John Kasich, former New Jersey governor Christine Todd, former New York representative Susan Molinari and former California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, who is also the former CEO of Hewlett Packard and now runs Quibi.
Even though Cindy, a businesswoman and philanthropist, did not say specifically that she was endorsing Biden for president, her participation in the video, which is narrated by actress Octavia Spencer, was an indication. "They would just sit and joke. It was like a comedy show, sometimes, to watch the two of them," Cindy said in the video.
McCain carried Biden's bags
The video also featured the voice of McCain, a Vietnam war veteran, and it showed him joking that he had to carry Biden’s bags to which the Democrat responded: "The son of a gun never carried my bags. He was supposed to carry my bags but he never carried my bags." The two men, though belonging to different political parties, later became friends and their families would even gather in Biden’s backyard for picnic parties.
In 2008, McCain contested the presidential election against Barack Obama and lost. Biden was also part of the same election and went on to become Obama's No. 2 in the White House. After McCain's death, Biden gave a eulogy for the GOP member at a memorial service for him in Arizona ahead of his state funeral. He was also the pallbearer for McCain during the service at Washington's National Cathedral.
Cindy McCain's support for Biden is not very surprising since the McCains have a sour relationship with Trump. The president and McCain were at odds over various issues with the president even mocking the late leader over his capture in the Vietnam War. Trump did not stop his attacks on McCain even after the latter’s death, prompting his daughters Meghan and Bridget (adopted) to hit back at the president with the latter calling the president a "child".