Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin says late Senator John McCain will be remembered as an American hero but admits it was ‘unfortunate’ that he was surrounded by people ‘who weren’t serving him well,’ during their run for office.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Palin, 54, and her husband Todd, 53, reflected on her time as McCain’s running mate during the 2008 presidential election and revealed her frustration over his political hangers-on.
‘I respect his military service. I think it’s unfortunate that he had people around him – and they continued to be around him for a very long time – who weren’t serving him well,’ she said.
‘They certainly weren’t serving the country well with what they were trying to do.’
‘I believe he was told things about what America really wanted or really needed because he’s been in that DC bubble for so many years.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Palin, 54, and her husband Todd, 53, reflected on her time as McCain’s running mate during the 2008 presidential election
‘I don’t think inherently he necessarily was really connected, so he did rely on people telling him – in polls – telling him and…he went from there.
‘I think that’s unfortunate because he had some strange people around him and..disloyal people, and you know, I don’t say that as like hate speech or griping about it, it’s just a fact they were just some not nice people.’
Todd added: ‘But when she was doing debate prep for a big debate with Biden or just wanted to talk about some issue, she could have like four or five people around her with all the cue cards and all this and sit there for hours and not accomplish much.
‘But sit in the back of the bus with John and her and it was awesome to watch. So, I just respected John and he had a huge heart you know.’
Sarah said McCain had agreed with her about not letting other people ‘mold you into something you’re not.’
‘You can’t do that. You can’t be insincere and not genuine and accomplish what needs to be done, but yeah, that was a huge lesson,’ she said.
‘If it was just John McCain and me, or just our families together it was awesome. Those were the good times. ‘
When asked on what she believed was McCain’s political legacy, she said the senator will be remembered in high respects for his military service.
‘The unfortunate part about it will be that I think some of the people around him- still try to undermine us.
The senator has been battling cancer for the past year and relocated indefinitely to his home in Arizona last December. He is pictured right with his daughter Meghan
‘Part of that legacy unfortunately will be some of these people that had influence on him will, unfortunately, they really took advantage of, and that wasn’t good.
The former governor and her husband also spoke out against claims that McCain had regretted picking her as his running mate.
The 81-year-old revealed in his memoir, The Restless Wave, published in April, that he wished he had chosen Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman as his VP instead.
In an earlier interview with DailyMail.com in May, Palin had said she attributed his statements to ‘his ghostwriters.’
‘I was reading part of his book and he had nothing but praise her. He had one little sentence where he was saying “maybe I should have picked Joe,”‘ Todd said.
‘Four-five little words. He praised her and how he selected her, but that’s how it works…that’s how the perception in the media works.’
Sarah reiterated that McCain had never told her those sentiments himself.
‘Well, with that headline though that he evidently regretted picking me, well my thought was, “well he’s never said that to me.”
‘We’ve always had great conversations and thankfulness that I accepted the opportunity, and was given the opportunity. It’s all been good.
‘I had never heard that from him before and…it’s a shame to live life with regrets especially like that, that would be a huge regret. That’s life-changing, nation-changing regret. Let it be a lesson that we not live life with regrets.’
The two had kept in touch over the years after their failed campaign despite their differences, Palin said.
‘We’ve always had great conversations- and we’ve been able to agree to disagree, certainly on political issues.
‘He was gracious in those situations too where he knew that I wanted more domestic oil development in certain areas. He hadn’t.
‘But when we talk about it we can see each other’s point of view and I’m not giving an inch on it, and he wasn’t giving an inch on it, but we got along anyway.’
Despite the bumps along the road, the Palins said they will remember the personal aspects of her run with McCain, including his ‘big heart’ and spending time with his family.
‘Cindy [McCain] holding Trig, his sons who were so nice and great to my kids, and my kids getting along well with their family.
‘I’ll remember the good times that’s for darn sure. And I won’t re-hash the strange times that happened after the campaign that some of his people orchestrated.’
John McCain, he is an American hero. You consider his military record…the hell.
‘The physical and mental hell he went through in service to our country. I don’t put up with it when people – in our own party even – want to keep criticizing him even invoking his military service.
‘I think go ahead criticize his politics, but you bring up that military service, you slam him as a vet, and I’ll defend him as aggressively as I defend my own kids.
‘John McCain will be remembered, I think he should be remembered, as an American hero when you consider his military service.