This is how John McCain could lose his reelection bid in Arizona
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is up for reelection this year and even by his own estimate, keeping his seat is not exactly going to be a walk in the park. Challenging McCain in Arizona's Aug. 30 primary is former Arizona state senator Kelli Ward, who is aiming to "[exemplify McCain as] everything Republican presidential primary voters had rejected by nominating Trump," Slate writes. And even if McCain makes it past Ward, he'll be facing Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick in the fall, who is working to paint him and Trump as one and the same.
McCain has endorsed Donald Trump, despite the fact that Trump once dismissed his military experience because he was "captured" during combat. In May, McCain admitted at a private event that "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."
And that's what Kirkpatrick is hoping for. As Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) told Slate, "Latinos are now seeing McCain and Trump as one and the same and even tying things that your average voter would not normally tie together. For example: John McCain not supporting the president's Supreme Court pick? In their minds, from what I'm hearing, it's telling them that he wants Trump to pick the next Supreme Court justice. So it's just starting to jell together."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Meanwhile, Ward's tea party backers are hearing that John McCain is "not the conservative he claims to be." Ward further warns that the senator's many years in Washington have made him a part of the contemptible establishment.
All this leaves McCain — who will be 80 this summer — with quite a minefield to navigate. But as Slate points out, he's never been one not to show up to a fight. Read more at Slate.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Political cartoons for October 27Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include improving national monuments, the NBA gambling scandal, and the AI energy vampire
-
Donald Trump’s week in Asia: can he shift power away from China?Today's Big Question US president’s whirlwind week of diplomacy aims to bolster economic ties and de-escalate trade war with China
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deploymentSpeed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
