John McCain is really worried that Donald Trump will wreck his own chances of re-election

Joh McCain is really worried about Trump.

(Image credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

published 5 May 2016

In public, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is brushing aside concerns that Donald Trump's nomination will hamper his chances at reelection. But behind closed doors, Politico discovered in a recording of a private event, it's a drastically different story.

The Arizona senator warned his closest supporters at a private fundraiser last month that Trump might make this race his toughest yet. "If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life," McCain said, according to a recording. "If you listen or watch Hispanic media in the state and in the country, you will see that it is all anti-Trump. The Hispanic community is roused and angry in a way that I've never seen in 30 years."

For years now, McCain has worked to win over Arizona's large Latino population, which makes up 22 percent of the state's eligible voters. While he's been successful so far, and, as Politico notes, is "certainly the favorite in his race to win a sixth term in the Senate," McCain is privately admitting that Trump's remarks could very well create an opening for his Democratic opponent to take his seat. "Frankly there's an element of nativism in it as well, as you know. The first wedge that Donald Trump had that gave him notoriety was, 'build a wall,' 'rapist,' 'murderers,' etc.," McCain said at the fundraiser. "And so, this is going to be a tough campaign for me."