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U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) waves during the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Aug. 29 in Tampa. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Arizona Sen. John McCain defended Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s criticism of the U.S. Embassy’s response to the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya.
Romney said last week that while he was outraged about the killing of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others, the Obama administration did not condemn the attacks and Romney accused Obama of sympathizing with those who carried them out. Romney’s statement drew sharp criticism from many.
The statement Romney criticized as “the Obama administration’s first response” was actually released before the attack on the embassy.
McCain, speaking Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” said the U.S. Embassy’s statement released before the violence flared up, “was a semi-apology.”
“We shouldn’t be apologizing for freedom of speech. We should be saying we demand freedom of speech for these people,” McCain added. He said the United States should “assist these people” following the turmoil of last year’s Arab Spring.
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