Trump nixed statement praising McCain

Donald Trump rejected a statement prepared by his aides that praised John McCain, according to the Washington Post, underscoring the US president's enduring scorn for the late senator and war hero.

While tributes have poured in highlighting the Arizona Republican's lifetime of service, Trump issued a single, terse tweet on Saturday that sent his "deepest sympathies and respect" to the bereaved family, without any words for McCain himself.

The absence of a formal communique from the White House has raised eyebrows and was all the more conspicuous after Vice President Mike Pence along with most of the cabinet had issued their own statements over the weekend.