'Hysterical Biden defenders.' What Meghan McCain said about Joe Biden debate controversy

Former co-host of "The View" Meghan McCain likened President Joe Biden's defenders to Donald Trump supporters Saturday amid the fallout from his scrutinized debate performance against the former president June 27.

"The hysterical Biden defenders are exactly the same as the hysterical Trump defenders and frankly this cult worship of our presidents is really scary and exactly the opposite of what that position was intended to be when created by our founding fathers," she said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "These men aren't kings."

McCain is the daughter of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. She and her mom, Cindy McCain, endorsed Biden in the 2020 race despite her reputation as a conservative TV personality. She had a fiery exchange with Trump in 2019 after the former president attacked her late father. This year, she is criticizing both presidential frontrunners and their most loyal supporters.

On the same day of his defiant high-stakes interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, Meghan McCain joined calls for Biden to exit the 2024 race in a series of posts expressing concern he will not beat Trump in November.

"Joe Biden can step aside for another candidate or lose in historic numbers in a few months - but one way or another he will not be President soon and this is something his family should start coming to terms with since they all seem to be living in a severe level of delusion." she wrote on X. "Super weird democrats would rather lose massively to Trump than admit Biden has a problem."

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_