Tipsheet

Sarah Sanders on WH Aide Reportedly Mocking McCain: 'Not Going to Validate a Leak'

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded Friday to a barrage of questions regarding Special Assistant to the President Kelly Sadler joking about Sen. John McCain’s death in an internal meeting which was leaked to the press.

A reporter asked Sanders if Sadler still had a job.

“I’m not going to comment on an internal staff meeting,” she replied.

Another reporter pressed Sanders on the remarks and whether the White House planned to address them.

“I’m not going to validate a leak out of an internal staff meeting one way or the other,” Sanders said.

She did later confirm Sadler still had a job but emphasized “I’m not going to get into a back and forth because people want to create issues of a leaked staff meeting.”

Another reporter asked Sanders if there is “a tone set from the top here where it is allowed for an aide to say he (McCain) is dying anyway?”

“Certainly there is not a tone set here,” she replied. “We have a respect for all Americans and that is what we try to put forward in everything we do.”

Meghan McCain brought up the comments on “The View” earlier Friday, saying she didn't know how a White House employee can make such remarks and keep their job.