The White House on Monday said Kelly Sadler's remark has been "dealt with internally."
Despite calls for an apology over White House communications aide Kelly Sadler's reported remark about John McCain "dying," deputy press secretary Raj Shah declined to delve into the matter on Monday beyond saying that it has been "dealt with internally."
ABC News' Cecilia Vega asked Shah at a press briefing, "Kelly Sadler told [John McCain's daughter] Meghan McCain that she would apologize publicly, and that has not yet happened. Why has that not happened?"
Shah responded, in part, "She apologized directly to the family."
"Are there any concerns that this White House seems more concerned about the fact that there was a leak than about the content of what was said?" Vega continued to press the issue.
"I think we're concerned about all sorts of matters, but this is an internal matter, it's being addressed internally," Shah replied. "And I don't have anything further to add."
Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also dodged similar questions at Friday's briefing. However, she reportedly "scolded" her staff over the controversy.
"Sanders called the comment 'unacceptable,' but was said to be more upset about the leak than the off-handed comment from White House staffer Kelly Sadler that McCain's opposition to their CIA director nominee Gina Haspel 'doesn't matter, because he's dying anyway,'" reports ABC News.
Axios' Jonathan Swan detailed a similar account, noting that a source told him, "[Sanders] made a point of immediately saying Sadler's comment was wrong but her point was that these issues should be litigated internally and airing grievances through the press inflicts immense damage on the White House."
