Former Republican presidential candidate McCain's youngest son says "I will vote for Harris"

The youngest son of the late Senator John McCain, who ran as the Republican candidate in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, announced that he will vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, in the upcoming U.S. presidential election this November.

Jimmy McCain revealed in an interview with CNN on the 3rd (local time) that he recently registered as a voter with the Democratic Party and plans to vote for Vice President Harris. He also stated that he will participate in any way possible to help the Harris campaign.

Former President Trump paying tribute at Arlington National Cemetery
Photo by AP Yonhap News

Jimmy McCain is the youngest son of former Senator McCain and is currently serving in the military as an intelligence officer.

Although former Senator McCain was a prominent figure in the U.S. Republican Party, the McCain family has kept their distance from former President Donald Trump. This is because Trump made disparaging remarks about McCain during the 2016 presidential campaign, belittling him for being captured as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War and later returning alive. Trump repeatedly stated that McCain was "not a war hero because he was captured in Vietnam."

In response, Cindy McCain, the widow of former Senator McCain, supported President Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate, instead of Trump, the Republican candidate, in the 2020 presidential election. Additionally, Meghan McCain, the senator’s daughter, has established herself as one of the Republican critics of Trump. However, CNN reported that Jimmy McCain is the first family member to publicly break away from the Republican Party.

Jimmy McCain was particularly angered by the Arlington incident. Recently, former President Trump laid wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery for U.S. military victims who died in a bomb attack during the Afghanistan withdrawal three years ago, while taking campaign photos. This led to friction between campaign staff and cemetery employees. Jimmy McCain described this incident as a "violation of regulations and a painful experience" by Trump’s side. He added, "Those who lie in this land have no choice whether to become a backdrop for political campaigns," and said, "Anyone who has spent a long time in uniform understands that."