John McCain speaking to members of the media while sitting in a wheelchair after a hearing in Washington DC on Thursday, Nov 30, 2017.
Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Republican U.S. Senator John McCain said on Wednesday the Senate should reject President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.
McCain, who as a prisoner of war in Vietnam was tortured by his captors, said in a statement that acting CIA Director Gina Haspel, who testified on Wednesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, failed to address his concerns about the agency's post-9/11 harsh interrogation program for terrorism suspects.
"I believe the Senate should exercise its duty of advice and consent and reject this nomination," said McCain, who has been undergoing treatment for brain cancer and has been absent from the Senate for months.