Meghan McCain puts years-long Trump feud behind after receiving ‘very kind’ private message

Meghan McCain and Donald Trump traded jabs for years following his disparaging comments about her father, former Sen John McCain
Meghan McCain revealed Donald Trump sent her a 'gracious' private message granting her permission to attend Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation at the White House (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Screengrab/CitizenMcCainYouTube/YouTube)
Meghan McCain revealed Donald Trump sent her a 'gracious' private message granting her permission to attend Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation at the White House (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Screengrab/CitizenMcCainYouTube/YouTube)


WASHINGTON, DC: Meghan McCain has finally made peace with President Donald Trump, sharing that she now prefers his "tone" during his second term after he reached out with a warm message.  

The former co-host of 'The View' and daughter of the late former Senator John McCain said she saw a "softer" side of the president that helped her move past their years of public feud.

Meghan McCain describes Trump’s private message as 'very gracious'

The reconciliation came to light during an episode of her podcast 'Citizen McCain with Meghan McCain', where Meghan McCain detailed her recent invitation to the White House.

The change in their relationship started when Meghan, a friend of Tulsi Gabbard, was invited to attend Gabbard’s confirmation as director of national intelligence.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 06: Meghan McCain and Tulsi Gabbard attend Variety's 3rd Annual Salute To Service at Cipriani 25 Broadway on November 06, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Meghan McCain and Tulsi Gabbard attend Variety's 3rd Annual Salute To Service at Cipriani 25 Broadway on November 6, 2019, in New York City (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Given the years of public feud between the McCain family and the president, "behind-the-scenes" discussions were held about whether her attendance was appropriate as it required Trump's permission.

According to the 41-year-old, Trump was not only welcoming but also sent Meghan and her husband, Ben Domenech, a private message that she described as "very kind and very nice." 

While she chose to keep the specific words of the message to herself, the impact was clear. "And I was like, of all the things that have gone on, of all the things that have been said and done, this is very gracious," she admitted on her podcast. 

President Donald Trump listens during an event on health care affordability in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump listens during an event on health care affordability in the Oval Office at the White House on Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Moving past years of feuding

This is a big change for a pair that spent years attacking each other. The trouble started in 2015 when Trump said John McCain was not a war hero because he was captured in Vietnam.

Meghan McCain and John McCain attend
Meghan McCain and John McCain attend 'Raising McCain' Series New York Premiere at Tribeca Cinemas on September 12, 2013, in New York City (Kris Connor/FilmMagic)

Even after the senator died in 2018, the two sides continued to argue. Meghan once said Trump would never be as "great" as her father and even said in 2024 that she would not vote for him.

Now, Meghan says she is hearing similar stories from others. She mentioned hearing that Trump "has sort of been very gracious to other people that maybe have had things that have happened in the past that haven't been positive." 

She wondered if his new attitude came from getting older or simply being in a different stage of his life.

Meghan McCain and Lara Trump reflect on impact of assassination attempts

McCain and Lara Trump Discuss the Impact of Life-Threatening Moments (Screengrab/CitizenwithMcCain/YouTube)
Lara Trump agreed with Meghan McCain that Donald Trump surviving the 2024 assassination attempts changed his outlook (Screengrab/CitizenwithMcCain/YouTube)

While talking to Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, Meghan McCain suggested that the 2024 attempts on Donald Trump’s life might have changed him.

After being shot in the ear in Pennsylvania and facing another threat in Florida, Meghan believes these moments made the president more thoughtful. She thinks these scary experiences brought out the "softer" side she sees now.

Lara agreed that surviving those moments changed the president's outlook.

She said that when someone faces a life-ending event, it is impossible for it not to change them.

"I think when you have these moments that truly your life could have ultimately been changed or ended, I don't think you can discount that at all," Lara expressed. She added that those events "100% had a huge impact on him."

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