McCain Pushes Back on Trump Interrogation Order

Republican Sen. John McCain is pushing back on any efforts by President Donald Trump to use an executive order to allow enhanced interrogation.

In a statement on Wednesday, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee said the president can sign whatever executive orders he likes, “but the law is the law. We are not bringing back torture in the United States of America.”

McCain pointed out that the Senate voted overwhelmingly in June 2015 for prohibiting torture and endorsing only those techniques spelled out in the Army Field Manual. Waterboarding and other forms of enhanced interrogation are not included in the field manual.

The Arizona senator also said that Defense Secretary James Mattis and CIA Director Mike Pompeo assured him that they would support the Army Field Manual.

McCain said he was “confident these leaders will be true to their word.