President Donald Trump denied a report claiming that he ordered the U.S. Navy to hide the USS John McCain during his trip to Japan, but not before Meghan McCain raked him over the coals for it.
"Trump is a child who will always be deeply threatened by the greatness of my dads incredible life," Meghan McCain tweeted. "There is a lot of criticism of how much I speak about my dad, but nine months since he passed, Trump won't let him RIP. So I have to stand up for him."
Trump is a child who will always be deeply threatened by the greatness of my dads incredible life. There is a lot o… https://t.co/4sQCEDmuH8— Meghan McCain (@Meghan McCain) 1559175936.0
"It makes my grief unbearable," she added.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that they obtained an email that contained the order to keep the ship "out of sight" during the president's visit.
"USS John McCain needs to be out of sight," the email reportedly read, according to the WSJ. "Please confirm #3 will be satisfied."
A tarp was hung over the name of the ship and they were instructed to remove other displays of the name of the ship. Sailors were reportedly also told to stay home during the visit by the president. The report noted that they wear caps with the name of the ship normally.
Trump appeared to deny the report from his social media account.
"I was not informed about anything having to do with the Navy Ship USS John S. McCain during my recent visit to Japan," Trump tweeted.
I was not informed about anything having to do with the Navy Ship USS John S. McCain during my recent visit to Japa… https://t.co/wJckm2fObp— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1559177983.0
"Nevertheless, [first lady Melania Trump] and I loved being with our great Military Men and Women - what a spectacular job they do!" he added.
After the president denied knowledge of the order, the official Twitter account of the U.S. Navy's Chief of Information denied the story and the photo which accompanied the report.
"The name of USS John S. McCain was not obscured during the POTUS visit to Yokosuka on Memorial Day," the account tweeted. "The Navy is proud of that ship, its crew, its namesake and its heritage."
The name of USS John S. McCain was not obscured during the POTUS visit to Yokosuka on Memorial Day. The Navy is pro… https://t.co/RPB8BAcukS— Navy Chief of Information (@Navy Chief of Information) 1559182177.0
The U.S. Navy is also looking into whether service members on the USS WASP, the ship that the president visited in Japan, violated Department of Defense policy by wearing pro-Trump patches.
Here's video of Trump on his visit to Japan:
President Trump Speaks to Soldiers on the USS Waspwww.youtube.com
[Editor's Note: This article was updated with additional information.]