Cindy McCain is having a tea party.
The widow of the late Senator John McCain has a new memoir coming out and it’s clear that she has zero f*cks left to give, especially when it comes to a certain former governor from Alaska.
In Stronger, McCain writes that she initially found her husband’s 2008 running mate, Sarah Palin, to be “charming and delightful and ambitious,” but that it became clear very early on that she was “naïve about national politics” and way too confident in things she knew absolutely nothing about.
“She believed in her own abilities,” Cindy writes. “Confidence is great—but only when it’s warranted.”
Of course, none of that is new. Petty much everyone agrees today that Palin was an absolutely terrible choice for VP and likely cost McCain the election. McCain himself expressed regret over picking her in his final book, calling it a “mistake” and saying he wished he had listened to his gut and run with Joe Lieberman instead.
Where McCain’s book gets juicy, however, is when she talks about the reason why Palin wasn’t invited to the senator’s funeral in 2018. Here’s what she writes:
In the fourteen months that John had been sick, she never once spoke to him. He had put her on the political map, and she didn’t even send him a note of good wishes when he was down. That is not someone you invite to a final farewell.
Damn. Not even a card, Sarah? Really?!
Speaking to PEOPLE, McCain added, “There were so many opportunities for people to come, and I made sure that people could, because I wanted to keep him engaged.”
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“I was just very disappointed in what Mrs. Palin did, because I just felt that… I had hoped that she had felt my husband was as loved as I did. And I was just very disappointed. I think I was more disappointed than John.”
But according to Palin she did reach out to the McCain’s during the senator’s long illness… by sending Meghan McCain an email.
Palin’s camp provided PEOPLE with an alleged message from the failed vice presidential candidate to The View co-host written in December 2017 that said: “Please know we’re praying for you, your mom, your brothers, sister … Please give the Senator a big hug from us.”
Because nothing says “I care” like a two sentence email written on one’s phone.
Asked whether she’s heard from Palin since her husband’s passing, Cindy McCain told PEOPLE, “I haven’t, but I wish her well.”
Another person who was famously not invited to the senator’s funeral was Donald Trump, but McCain did welcome Ivanka and Jared, even though she was suspicious of their motivations for wanting to be there.
In her memoir, she writes:
John always taught me that it takes more energy to be mad than to simply move on. I don’t know exactly why Ivanka and Jared wanted to be there. But I am hoping that they came for the reason I would think—that they mourned the loss of my husband.
Kudos to Cindy for being able to give two of the most toxic, manipulative, and calculating members of the Trump administration the benefit of the doubt.
Stronger hits bookstores next Tuesday.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Fahd
Still glad John McCain never became president, but he did know how to act honorably; something unknown to the current crop of uneducated Repuglicans. I appreciated McCain’s vote to keep Obamacare, for example. His widow also seems to be an honorable person – notably, she endorsed Biden (Hard to believe the Arizona republican party is so backward that they censored her for doing so.) Life is short, so I won’t take the time to read her book, but I wish her well.
Cam
I would love to agree with you, but….
McCain was trying to get Cindy a job at the State Dept, they wanted her to have govt. experience, my guess is, because they knew John was sick and wanted her to step into his Senate Seat.
Trump wouldn’t give it to her, so I think McCain’s vote to keep Obamacare was more of an f-you to Trump than it was because he gave two sh*ts for people.
After McCain’s sickness was announced, he could have retired, but didn’t and held the seat while they floated test headlines about Cindy taking over the seat. When they didn’t get a good response they stopped pushing that.
This is also the guy involved in the Keating Five bribery scandal, who, to save his reputation pretended to care about campaign finance reform, and then violated his own rules when he ran for president.
He was also so disengaged that he didn’t even bother to Vet Palin and his campaign, after he knew she was an unqualified nightmare not only didn’t get rid of her, but attacked the media. McCain was the first one to complain about “Gotcha” questions in his attempt to defend Palin.
So no, he wasn’t as bad as Trump, but let’s not rewrite history about him.
Fahd
I guess I got caught up in the “not as bad as Trump” frame of mind.
Cam
@Fahd
I totally get it. After Trump almost anybody looks great!
daddytop
Sorry Cam, but a president does not appoint anyone to fill a vacant Senate seat. That is strictly a state’s rights issue….in some states the governor appoints someone, in other states, a special election is held.
Bromancer7
@daddytop It’s not uncommon for a widow to succeed her husband in the Senate. It’s happened 8 times before.
darkanser
LMAO….I like that “Life is short, so I won’t take the time to read her book, but I wish her well.” Nice courteous snub!!
richard1946
I am glad he didn’t become president but for different reasons.The only reason he voted for Obama care is because he hated Trump. Obama care has not been good for America. Secondly ,I have seen too many negative stories questioning the legitimacy of his war hero status. Also, I feel he was a terrible candidate who felt that the honorable way to campaign was to not criticize Obama too much.
HankHarris
Why would anyone be surprised at Palin’s response? She’s pure trash, and doesn’t understand good manners or genuine sentiment.
Liquid Silver
Pass. She married Republican trash who could put on a decent face occasionally and play “maverick” while toeing and towing the Republican line just fine depending on what was needed, and I don’t need to read the trash she wrote about other trash.
“McCain Saved Obamacare!” (about half the arguments I hear about how “mavericky he was”.) Bull pucky. McCain saved the Republicans from having to come up with their own plan and enabled them to blame the Dems for the rest of time. It was a fairly obvious move.
AxelDC
McCain voted ending the mandate which many feared would lead to an inflationary spiral that would kill our health care system.
Mister P
I’m shocked to find out that Sara Palin has no class. LMFAO
Cam
Oh, and notice how Palin didn’t reach out directly to Cindy, no, she reached out to the family member who was on TV, probably hoping that Meghan would mention it on The View and give Palin some badly needed P.R.
Bengali
People – don’t forget to catch the movie GAME CHANGE. It fully illustrates how inept Sarah Palin is.
daddytop
I LOVE that movie.
AxelDC
Sarah Palin didn’t cost McCain the election. George Bush cost McCain the election with his 2 failed wars, both of which McCain fully endorsed, and the 2nd of Bush’s recessions hitting just in time for the election.
Sarah Palin was just an example of how McCain made bad choices. He couldn’t have his first choice, Joe Lieberman, so in a fit of pique he chose some woman he’d never met because he liked a tape she made. He thought picking a woman would show up Democrats for not selecting Hillary Clinton, but the Clinton-Palin voters just didn’t exist. McCain didn’t pick other Republican women because he personally didn’t like them, like Kay Bailey Hutchinson.
Marsh Parker
Just a reminder, Clinton, Obama and Biden were also serving in the Senate at the time, they ALL voted for the war. McCain wasn’t the only one who got hustled by Bush, Powell & Cheney lies.
HenryHawke
I beg to differ. My parents, my sister and her husband and I were solidly behind McCain until he announced Palin would be his running mate. We figured that if he was going to sell out to appeal to the radical right by taking on an incompetent as his VP, we couldn’t trust him to make well thought out decisions as President. Many of my friends felt the same way. No, McCain made an extremely poor decision by picking Palin and, sadly, she proved how bad that decision was every time she opened her mouth. So yes, Sarah Palin cost John McCain the election and that’s how history will remember her. She’s done nothing to redeem herself either. She continues to make a fool of herself at every turn.
Seth
Ick. A story without a single decent human in it. Some asshole dishing on other assholes is hardly groundbreaking.
Gay Thomas
Never forget that they are all Republican trash. Every. One. Of. Them.
KilnMSWoman
You can tell this is a left wing journalist writing what one would (if possible) consider an important topic. Please? Who cares what Cindy McCain might say or think? I’m sure she is not as favored upon in DC as one would wish. Ivanka & Jarrod, kudos to you two for showing your compassion at a sad time.
daddytop
Oh puh-leez.
Cindy McCain has written a book that comes out next week.
And literally NO ONE likes Ivanka.
barryaksarben
Kilnwoman dont you mean KLANWOMAN. Ivsnks snd Jsrrod asre soulless monsters who were only there because Ivanka thought she would be a candidate for president. As if that horrible fake barbie could be president. And Jarrod and his criminal family are worse than the Trump crime family stealing from the US taxpayers. WHat are you doing here sweetie? Are you a lesbian? Are you here to save us all by teling us about your amazing space ghost guy> Go away piggie woman. How do you get off sexually? or is it dirty to you? Puritan idiots
wolfman6
Remember Tina Fey’s impersonation of Palin on SNL. DEAD ON!! She was absolutely perfect!
Palto
Palin is responsible for Trump’s reign of terror. She opened the floodgates making it acceptable for any grifting sleazball to scurry in.
richard1946
Really. Trump was the most effective president ever. He did great things for America. You l ibtards can be negative about Trump but think Biden is great. His allowing illegals to flow into this country and his irresponsible spending of money we don’t have are just two examples. Now his raising of taxes and bringing back all kind of business regulations will destroy the economy. Libtard is a proper description for all of you morons.
James
WHO CARES ABOUT CINDY MCCAIN OR SARAH PALIN. WASTE OF TIME.
ScottOnEarth
The only thing I like about Cindy McCain is her public disdain for trump. But she ONLY disliked him because of how he treated her husband. She’s still an anit-gay conservative whom I don’t trust in the slightest. Same goes for her atrocious troll-daughter, Meghan.
EddieB
For accuracy’s sake, Obama was not yet a Senator when the vote on Bush’s Iraq war was taken. Obama was critic of the war before and after the vote was taken though I suppose it is impossible to really know how he would have voted. In any case, Iraq was a problem that haunted him throughout his administration.
And Obamacare is “bad for America?” But good for Americans.
trell
This is hardly “Major Tea” though, is it, Queerty?
McCain’s widow says Sarah Palin didn’t really say much to her when John died, and that Jared & Ivanka might have come to his funeral to actually mourn, or to treat it as another potential PR event?
Is that it?
Mehki
It was a huge mistake alright. McCain was the first Republican I ever even considered for my vote – until he brought in that nutjob!
Will never forgive him for that.
Wow, if I had sent someone dying of cancer a two-line email, I would be too embarrassed to admit it.
We already know she and her dysfunctional family are basically trailer trash.
I’ve sent condolence cards completely filled in with a handwritten notes to people I barely know, much less that to someone who essentially made it so I could rook the rubes for millions.
Damn, Palin, even the Dollar Store sells cards for, you know, $1.