Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., defended President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster after some on the right have called for his firing.
"The recent attacks upon him from the so-called 'alt-right' are disgraceful," McCain said in a statement released on his website Monday.
"Since this fringe movement cannot attract the support of decent Americans, it resorts to impugning the character of a good man and outstanding soldier who has served honorably in uniform and sacrificed more for our country than any of his detractors ever have," Sen. McCain said. "Such smear tactics should not be tolerated and deserve an emphatic response."
McCain likened McMaster's critics to "same purveyors of hatred and ignorance who precipitated the recent violence in Charlottesville," where white nationalists clashed with Antifa and other counter-protesters.
"I hope the president will once again stand up for his national security adviser and denounce these repugnant attacks," he said.
Some websites, including Breitbart, have been critical of McMaster, saying he is purging conservatives from Trump's inner circle.
"We didn't vote for McMaster and the generals, we voted for Trump because he promised to drain the swamp," Tea Party activist Debbie Dooley told The Hill on Monday. "McMaster is the ultimate swamp dweller."