President Trump said Thursday he knew nothing about a request to hide the USS John McCain from his view when he spoke at a naval base in Japan earlier this week.
But he appeared to confirm it was someone inside the White House who wanted it done, aware of Trump's obsession with the late senator.
Yet a review of news reports on this story shows there are still questions about what happened.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House Thursday, Trump didn't hide his animosity toward a man whose military service he mocked.
"I was not a big fan of John McCain in any way, shape or form," Trump said.
The president claimed he knew nothing about efforts to conceal the warship bearing the name of three generations of McCains.
But the president went on: "Somebody did it because they thought I didn't like him. OK? And they were well-meaning, I will say."
Trump appeared to verify the reporting of several news organizations that the White House wanted these instructions sent to military officials about Trump's Japan visit: "USS John McCain needs to be out of sight."
But we've verified that any efforts to hide the McCain and its sailors remain unconfirmed.
Was a tarp covering the USS John McCain’s name? Some reports say the tarp was removed by Saturday, the day Trump arrived in Japan. The Navy says it didn’t hide the ship.
Were USS John McCain sailors given the day off when Trump visited their naval base? The Navy says they were, according to one report. Other news sources dispute that.
Were USS John McCain sailors turned away from the president’s speech? This, too, is in dispute. Some reports say sailors on other ships were invited while sailors from the USS John McCain were turned away.
On Thursday, Arizona Sen. Martha McSally and Congressman Ruben Gallego of Phoenix both called for investigations of who kept the warship kept under wraps.
Gallego's letter to the chief of naval operations said: "As a member of the (House) Armed Services Committee, I am concerned about how prioritizing the emotional instability of the president over the morale of the USS John S. McCain’s crew will affect readiness.”
McSally may have a chance to question Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan about the episode when his anticipated nomination as defense secretary comes before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Shanahan said Thursday he was just learning what had happened in Japan and needed to ask more questions.
The guided missile destroyer, commissioned 25 years ago, was originally named for Sen. John McCain’s grandfather and father, John S. McCain Sr. and John S. McCain Jr. They were the first father and son four-star admirals in the Navy.
Sen. McCain was added as a namesake last July at a re-dedication ceremony just a month before he died.
In 2017, the ship collided with an oil tanker east of Singapore, killing 10 sailors and injuring five others. Repairs from the collision are expected to be completed late this year, the Navy says.