Meghan McCain talks Trump attempted assassination, getting back to political civility

Intro been looking forward to this conversation for as long as it's been set up and longer than that it's been since we've talked uh Megan McCain joins me Megan thank you so much for doing this oh my gosh thank you so much for having me Mike it's so nice to talk to you again and I'm H so excited to hear all your reporting from Radio row at the convention I did that in 2015 and it's really rockus and loud and crazy on radio row so I'm just so excited to you're there yeah it's great it's great to be here um I wanna I want to get your Impressions and thoughts if you don't mind I I I've been reading what you've been saying and I've heard some of but I want to hear it from you um on Saturday when you saw this attack and this this almost an assassination of the former president what did you think can you tell me what your initial thoughts were well my husband Ben and I were actually out to dinner on a date and we had just sat down to dinner and ordered advertisers and my friend texted me uh shots fire Trump shots fire and I had assumed they meant like he was you know saying something about Biden or saying something about I don't know just shots fired like the the verbage and then she said no shooting and I C on my phone I saw it and I actually started like gagging because I thought he was shot like you know like like killed shot and um you know just started honestly just hyperventilating and just you know my husband was really angry and we obviously left the restaurant immediately and um we went home because he had to work and it was just too distracting and um you know it's I I never thought I would see anything like this in my lifetime President Reagan was shot when um I was just born and I have no memory of it it's not something we do in America this is third world country disgusting you know evil type of thing and I I said then I say now my prayers are still with the Trump family and um this is not a time for partisanship or bickering or going over Petty Feud right now it's a time to come together and lower the temperature and uh coming from you I Political civility think that is a massive statement you and I have had private conversations but you've been very public about it the the rift the the animosity between your father and and and Donald Trump the person there were political differences there were a lot of uh things that were said that even I push back very heavily against that that the the former president said about your father but um you have always been that kind of a person at least in my mind that you differentiate between a political opinion and things that are said and personal things can we get back to civility do you believe there's a chance where we can passionately disagree on issues and yet still remain respectful yeah I mean I think the I actually find that like individual Americans are much better at this than pundants and people in politics um I think this is a wakeup call for a lot of people I mean look uh you know when you have Morning Joe being taken off the air because MSNBC executives are concerned about what could possibly be set on that show and the Damage it could do uh you know to Americans or God forbid what it could Inspire in violence and other people clearly there are people in this country that are not in control of themselves that are mentally ill that could do God knows why I mean I do think this is a time where there's a lot of reflection I mean I I had kind of a hard time last night watching president Trump with his ear banded just because obviously it's just so sad and scary came within literally an inch of his life and he could have had his you know his headbone off on National Television it's just the most hideous and evil of things and you know people keep saying like but what about your family what about your Feud like it's well documented it's well documented that I've not been a Maga person in the in the past um I'm not you know I'm not a magga person now but it's not about that it's about what's good for the country and no matter our political differences which are you know you know intense sometimes you know we're talking about like human life and and decency and sanctity of what it means to be an American and I'm not going to get into the you know the sewer with people saying that I should somehow be feeling differently I cannot imagine what it would be like to watch your dad be shot on National Television so right now I just want peace for this entire country let the election lay out the way it's going to play out I think Biden is on his way to have a historic win I'm sorry not Biden Trump is on his way to have a historic win and Biden's on his way way to have a historic loss and my hope for the future is that uh you know everyone in Trump World can um come together and not have anger and animosity towards people like me people like Nikki Haley um I am hoping for a coalition that can come together in one form or another that doesn't mean we all have to agree that doesn't mean we all have to think the same thing but I you know I implore Prudence on all sides right now and I'm just doing what little I can you know uh Ted Kennedy it seems like when you and I talk we end up reminiscing about your father because I love talking to you about how much he meant to me and telling you stories and hearing yours and your your father told me two stories and one of them and they both were about Ted Kennedy who they both vehemently disagreed politically and he said to me one time Ted Kennedy was the only person that could go to the floor of the Senate and Shred you in front of America and then walk off the floor and convince you he wasn't talking about you and and he talked about this re this respectful relationship between the two of them they both were such s such big figures in their party and in that chamber they both were at odds on so many pieces of legislation and about the direction of America but there seemed to be a genuine respect if we could get back to that I think we'd better off never back off your positions never back off your principles but you certainly don't have to hate your adversary yeah I mean that's how I live my life truly I have friends who are if you can believe it like extremely DieHard Maga people my friend Ben Ferguson I'm sure he wouldn't mind me saying that like he hosts a show with Ted Cruz like he's super you giant Trump supporter I have friends in my life who are very liberal it's I just it's just I don't I think life is really boring to you know take people out of out of your life that have different political opinions that doesn't mean disrespect that doesn't mean like you know I certainly couldn't be you know if anyone like hated America they're not going to have a place in my life but I'm I'm I'm hopeful for the future because there's no other option um these have been really dark times and not to be partisan but you know President Biden promised of the country that he would heal the divide and heal the soul of the nation and he's made it like you know worse in a way that is almost been unfathomable and I just hope I always hope for every new Administration and I'm not I don't think I'm being bullish or naive to to tell you that I think it's almost certain uh that President Trump will be president again I'm just hoping for sea change in this country and I'm hoping that uh you know what we saw last night was clearly a more tempered uh president Trump he looked calm he looked emotional I'm hoping that maybe this moment will be one on the Maga side as well to you know come together and not make it personal and not throw cheap shots at people and I personally am hoping that what has been done between our families will um end that doesn't mean All is Forgiven and I won't you know always defend my dad and love him vifly and that doesn't mean that like like you know I will ever forget but I I think it would be healthy for everyone in the country to move on just personally from our family feud Megan McCain joins us Meghan McCain talking about civility in the public discourse Before I Let You Go you made some public statements after watching the debate with uh President Biden uh knowing that family as long as your family has known them um what can you say about what you witnessed what would you like to see happen with the president what do you think would be the right thing to do I haven't spoken with President Biden personally since um he asked their team asked me to endorse him at the convention in 2020 and I said no because just I haven't talked to him in almost four years um I will say that I was shocked and S deeply saddened watching the debate um any person who has been a caregiver for a parent or a loved one that has had any kind of cognitive decline I have obviously my dad had brain cancer there are signs and things that you can just tell if you've been around it enough I'm not a doctor but I know some of the things that I'm seeing and he is clear that he is sick uh he is not well I cannot understand for the life of me why his family is continuing to humiliate him and hurt his legacy I thought it would have been best for him to step aside uh not only for like the good of the democratic party in their future but just like for the good of the country um you know it is not appropriate for the American public to be put in a position where we have to monitor our president's Health um I mean I think it's absolutely you know gross and psychotic I uh think that Jill Biden will be remembered very poorly uh going forward in American history and I just think it's a tragedy I think it is so sad it is so hard to watch uh it's very taxing you know the American public at large has been through so much the last month the past three weeks with Biden's debate performance and obviously the assassination attempt on Trump and um you know I think at a certain point it's very selfish for them to stay stay in the race but you know from all reports and and things that I have heard is that they will they will not be talked out of it that he will be the Presidential nominee and they're on a kamakazi mission I mean he is going to I again nothing's over till the final round of Jeopardy but I mean I cannot foresee a situation where President Biden can win at this point and it's in no small part to their own doing of the what I have I believe is Mal fence and deception in regards to exactly what is wrong with his health I mean the New York Times reporting that the number one specialists in Parkinson's visited the White House eight times there are legitimate questions to be asked about why that happened yeah Megan I I always Outro appreciate your cander and always appreciate your Insight and I look forward to talking to you again soon I love you so much and I just think that you're like the greatest host in Arizona is so lucky to have you and thank you so much for having me on and my Dad loved you so much and I really wish you just like I hope you have the best time at the convention and it's not all just like dark and sadness and I really hope for like brighter days for the country going forward and I'm I just got back from Arizona and I'm so homesick to go back already thanks Megan great talking to you that's Megan McCain spending a few moments with us thanks for watching the Mike broomhead show catch up on Amazing arizonans a KT news podcast and click the button in the middle to subscribe