The Huffington Post’s Ashley Feinberg apologized Friday for a tweet in which she made light of Sen. John McCain’s illness and suggested that his work on the recently passed Republican tax bill was intended to secure his own family’s financial future.
“To be clear — I shouldn’t have been glib and callous in pointing out that John Mccain’s family stands to benefit massively from the estate tax provision in the tax bill he’s voting on this week, and I am sorry for that,” wrote Feinberg on Twitter.
to be clear—i shouldn’t have been glib and callous in pointing out that john mccain’s family stands to benefit massively from the estate tax provision in the tax bill he’s voting on this week, and i am sorry for that
— Ashley Feinberg (ashleyfeinberg.bsky.social) (@ashleyfeinberg) November 30, 2017
In the original tweet, Feinberg jokingly congratulated McCain’s wife and family for their “upcoming tax-free inheritance” due to the passage of the tax bill, which analysts say overwhelmingly favors the wealthy like McCain’s family.
McCain, who is battling a highly aggressive form of brain cancer, supported the bill, which eliminates federal taxes on the estates of multimillionaires.
The tweet, which Feinberg deleted, was screencapped by the senator’s daughter and co-host of “The View,” Meghan McCain.
“There is no deleting a tweet like this,” she wrote. “I hope no one ever treats your family this way during a time of great pain.”
McCain also pulled the classic Twitter move of tagging Feinberg’s employer.
There is no deleting a tweet like this @ashleyfeinberg – I hope no one ever treats your family this way during a time of great pain and i hope @HuffPost is aware of what their journalists are tweeting pic.twitter.com/8C9BnJsUG5
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) December 1, 2017
The Feinberg apology wasn’t enough for the younger McCain, however, who demanded more contrition in the form of a personal apology to Meghan’s mother, Cindy McCain.
“Apologize to my mother @cindymccain directly,” she wrote. “I believe she is owed a hell of a lot better than whatever kind of apology you think this is”
Apologize to my mother @cindymccain directly. I believe she is owed a hell of a lot better than whatever kind of apology you think this is. https://t.co/hVjuQbhAv5
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) December 1, 2017
Reps for Feinberg’s employer The Huffington Post were not immediately available for comment on Monday.