Yesterday, I posited that John McCain’s son, Jimmy, had violated the military directive against partisan conduct when he gave an interview to CNN attacking Trump’s appearance at Arlington and endorsing Kamala Harris. Today, I feel more strongly that he’s violated the military directive. Adding to that, he’s also run headlong into the problem of his own father engaging in the same conduct over which he attacks Donald Trump.

Responding to an invitation from the Gold Star families whose sons and daughters were killed during the Harris-Biden administration’s botched pull-out from Afghanistan, Donald Trump appeared at a ceremony at Arlington. He did not campaign in any way. Instead, he stood respectfully silent and then helped place a wreath. His behavior comported perfectly with regulations holding that Arlington may not be used for political purposes. He was there as a guest, not a politician or a candidate.

Image: X screen grab.

Nevertheless, the Harris-Biden administration sought to politicize the event. This started before the ceremony when Arlington played scheduling games with the Gold Star families and then tried to ban Trump from joining them at the servicepeople’s gravesites. When Trump ultimately arrived, a female Arlington employee tried to block him and his entourage (without which no presidential candidate or former president travels). Then, rather than letting the kerfuffle die down, the Army publicized it with an anti-Trump spin.

Kamala, who wasn’t at the dignified transfer (where Biden kept checking his watch), never reached out to the Gold Star families, and did not bother to appear at the Arlington ceremony, immediately launched a political attack against Trump. The whole thing was a political hit job from beginning to end.

The attacks from the left were non-stop. Among those doing the attacking was Jim McCain, son of John McCain, the man who forced Americans to continue dealing with Obamacare because he didn’t want Trump to have a political victory. There are few people in politics less deserving of respect, but it looks as if little Jimmy—who dreams of a political career when he retires from the military—plans to compete with Daddy for that “no respect” title.

Jimmy, who is an active-duty intelligence officer, gave CNN a print interview in which he attacked Trump for appearing at Arlington, echoing the Democrat chorus about how Trump was campaigning in graveyards. During the same interview, Jimmy explicitly endorsed Kamala.

In a post yesterday, I said that Jimmy’s print interview with a major media outlet to endorse a political candidate deserved to be investigated for possibly having violated Department of Defense Directive 1344.10. The applicable language is that military personnel may not

Participate in any radio, television, or other program or group discussion as an advocate for or against a partisan political party, candidate, or cause.

When I wrote that, it wasn’t clear to me whether an interview with CNN was an “other program.” However, it was clear that Jimmy, an active duty officer, was advocating for a partisan political candidate. Notably, unlike many other prohibitions against partisan political conduct, this prohibition does not turn on whether the servicemember was wearing a uniform at the time.

Last night, though, Jimmy gave a live interview on CNN in which he again endorsed Kamala:

This is all coordinated. As clear a PR campaign as you'll ever see.

Jim McCain has never been someone you'd think of as a Republican.

Jake Tapper being in awe of him because he's a veteran that he can slobber over makes it all the more silly.

They hate Trump so much. pic.twitter.com/2gfkb5JDg6

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 3, 2024

That conduct manifestly violates the Directive and should subject Jimmy to discipline, including a court martial with criminal penalties. We know that today’s Pentagon, which orchestrated the whole Arlington set-up, won’t do anything, but I sincerely hope that when Trump returns to office, an honorable Pentagon will act.

But there’s more when it comes to Jimmy’s foray into partisan politics. It turns out that Jimmy crashed headlong into his father’s political conduct. Thus, while Jimmy took umbrage at Trump’s merely appearing in Arlington, his daddy used footage of himself in Arlington in a political advertisement:

Did You Know:

John McCain filmed a political ad at Arlington Cemetery

Be a shame if this went viral pic.twitter.com/g2PjEcV9gU

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) September 4, 2024

In other words, people whose revered daddies lived in glass houses shouldn’t be throwing stones.