The funeral of Senator John McCain will be well attended by political luminaries who will pay their respects and speak about what he meant to them and to American citizens. But McCain was much more than just a politician, and his friendships extended past party lines and beyond politics. One example of an unexpected friendship is the one between McCain and actor Warren Beatty, who is well known for having politics which are left of center.
Town & Country says that even though John McCain was a lifelong conservative, he formed a bond with self-described liberal actor Warren Beatty. It seems the two met around the time that Beatty made Bulworth and Beatty started suggesting that McCain run for the presidency, but accept no donations. McCain told them that was impractical.
“You need some kind of funding to rent the room and the bus and all that kind of stuff. I understand the allure of a candidate not taking any money, but it ignores the realities of a campaign.”
The two bonded on many levels, and McCain said that Beatty promised him if he ran as an independent, he would support him in a bid for the presidency.
Warren Beatty on John McCain, in @TheAtlantic 10 years ago: “I don’t think that political ideology is necessarily germane to friendships.” https://t.co/4u7GsxaQpp
— Adrienne LaFrance (@AdrienneLaF) August 29, 2018
Beatty says he’s surprised that people are shocked to hear that he and McCain were such good friends despite their political difference.
“I think I’ve made it clear that I’m a liberal Democrat consider my friendships to be friendships…. I don’t think that political ideology is necessarily germane to friendships.”
But Warren Beatty won’t be the only guy from the left side of the aisle to serve as a pallbearer at John McCain’s funeral.
“In addition to Biden and Bloomberg, Beatty will share the position of pallbearer with McCain’s friends from both sides of the aisle including former Democratic Senators Russ Feingold and Gary Hurt, former Republican Senator Phil Gramm, and Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. Former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush and former secretary of state Henry Kissinger are all set to speak at the services.”
Vanity Fair said that John McCain considered Warren Beatty a friend, beyond political affiliation, and the volume and diversity of those attending his funeral tell that story. It seems the only person who McCain expressly stated that he didn’t want at his memorial was someone from his own party, Donald Trump.
“It’s been reported that before his death, McCain requested that Trump not attend or speak during the service.”
