The ship is currently under repair and difficult to move following a 2017 collision, the newspaper said. A tarp was hung over the ship’s name ahead of Trump’s visit, according to the WSJ, citing photos it reviewed. Sailors were directed to remove any coverings from the ship that bore its name, the Journal said. It also reported that sailors on the ship who typically wear hats with the vessel’s name on it were given the day off.
The White House declined to respond to queries about the reason for the directive or where it came from, the WSJ said. Trump himself subsequently tweeted:
Meanwhile, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Thursday that he hadn’t had knowledge of any such events.
“I never authorized, I never approved any action around the movement or activity regarding that ship. Furthermore, I would never dishonor the memory of a great American patriot like Senator McCain,” he told reporters while en route Singapore. “I also think it is important, I’d never disrespect the young men and women that crew that ship. I’ve asked my chief of staff to look into the matter.”Trump has repeatedly attacked John McCain, who died in August, saying the late senator wrongly supported the war in Iraq, failed to “get the job done” for veterans and “badly” hurt the Republican party and the nation by voting against repealing Obamacare.
More must-read stories from Fortune:
—Robert Mueller resigns, says charging Trump with crime was ‘not an option’
—Why Mueller couldn’t indict Trump
—What would impeachment look like in Trump’s America?
—Rep. Rashida Tlaib is unapologetic about her expletive-filled call for Trump’s impeachment
—Trump tweets that Democrats want to impeach him for being ‘too successful’
