Trump's ex-chief of staff told him that 'the public will come to your grave and piss on it' if he didn't lower the flag in honor of McCain's death: book

John Kelly, the former White House chief of staff, told Donald Trump that the public would be angry with him if he didn't honor John McCain.

"If you don't support John McCain's funeral, the public will come to your grave and piss on it," Kelly told Trump, according to an upcoming book.

When a prominent US official or figure dies, it is customary for the president to proclaim that all flags be flown at half-staff until the interment. When McCain died after a brain cancer diagnosis, Trump expressed his sympathies but kept flags raised to full-staff.

—Mark Knoller (@markknoller) August 27, 2018

According to the report, Kelly was angry about the move.

Many people criticized Trump for his feud with McCain. McCain was called a "dummy" and a "loser" while campaigning for the presidency.

Trump said that he was not a war hero. He is a war hero because of his capture. People that weren't captured are my kind of people.

Trump did not mention McCain's name when he signed the national defense bill. One of the most vocal critics of Trump was McCain.

When McCain died, Trump rejected a statement written by his aides that praised him.

The American Legion, a nonprofit organization that serves US veterans, criticized Trump for raising the flag, urging him to make an appropriate presidential proclamation noting Senator McCain's death and legacy of service to our nation.

Both Democrats and Republicans called for the flag to be lowered.

The flag was lowered to half-staff.

"Despite our differences on policy and politics, I respect Senator John McCain's service to our country and, in his honor, have signed a decree to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff until the day of his interment," Trump said.