John McCain, accepting an award, says the Trump scandal is now 'of Watergate size and scale'

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last updated 17 May 2017

Congressional Republicans have taken some criticism for expressing their "concerns" about President Trump's behavior, as a series of scandals involving Russia and the FBI investigation into his campaign unfold, and leaving it at that. But Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) played the Nixon card on Tuesday night, while accepting a Freedom Award from the International Republican Institute. "I think we've seen this movie before; I think it appears at a point where it's of Watergate size and scale," McCain told veteran TV journalist Bob Scheiffer, according to reporters at the dinner. "The shoes continue to drop, and every couple days there's a new aspect."

McCain, who's had a strained relationship with Trump, said his advice to Trump would be "the same thing that you advised Richard Nixon, which he didn't do ... get it all out," The Daily Beast's Tim Mak reports. "It's not going to be over until every aspect of it is thoroughly examined and the American people make a judgment," McCain added. "And the longer you delay, the longer it's going to last."

McCain also criticized Trump for hosting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Oval Office last week — when Trump apparently revealed highly classified intelligence to Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. "I've known this guy Lavrov for 30 years, he's an old KGB apparatchik stooge, and Putin is a murderer and a thug," McCain said. "And to have Lavrov in the Oval Office and be friendly with the guy whose boss ... sent aircraft with precision weapons to attack hospitals in Aleppo, I just think it's unacceptable."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.