Senator John McCain made it clear on Thursday that he thinks the Obama Administration didn't do all they could in response to the violent crisis in Egypt.
During a CNN interview, host Wolf Blitzer asked the Senator if the president had given a proper and full reply to the outbreak of battle in Egypt by striking a scheduled joint military exercise from the American datebook.
"No, of course not," McCain replied, without a second thought. "We violated our own rule of law by not calling it for what it is because our law clearly states that if it's a military coup, then aid is cut off. So initially we undercut our own values... That's a blow to credibility."
He also lit into Secretary of State John Kerry earlier this month, saying that Kerry didn't make things much better by stating that the heads of the Egyptian military were "restoring democracy."
McCain commented that Kerry's sentiments adopted a "degree of legitimacy to a non-elected government that was appointed by generals," and that some might think the statement was "a green light to take whatever action necessary to put down any opposition."
McCain then explained what he might have done better.
"[My] message was 'release these people from jail, have a constitutional change. set up a national dialogue and move forward with election.' Obviously, that wasn't as impactful as it might have been given the statements and actions by the White House and the Secretary of State. So we predicted, unfortunately, that there would be blood in the streets and it's a terrible tragedy."
The Arizona Republican wasn't the first to slam the Obama Administration for actions taken and statements made about Egypt following Thursday's brutal battle that resulted in over 525 deaths and thousands of injuries.
After President Obama cancelled the military exercise scheduled with Egypt for next month, many claimed that the president was shying away from calling the revolution a military coup-an act that would legally bind the Administration into halting the $1.5 billion in military aid given yearly to Cairo.
The U.S. is an ally to Egypt, mostly as a result of the North African country's reconciliation with Israel.
