The gist [UPDATED - more quoting before the first ellipsis, and via the second]:
(Bloomberg) -- The White House returned its flag to half-staff Monday afternoon following a barrage of criticism of President Donald Trump for ending the tribute to deceased Senator John McCain just one day after he died.
[...] Trump refused to say a word about McCain during events at the White House on Monday, where flags flew at full-staff for much of the day in contrast to honors the late senator received elsewhere in Washington and across the country. The president ignored reporters’ questions on McCain on four occasions and didn’t look at a reporter who asked if McCain was a hero.
After the American Legion wrote a letter to the president imploring him to recognize McCain, Trump relented.
“Our hearts and prayers are going to the family of Senator John McCain,” he said at a White House dinner with evangelical leaders in the evening. “We very much appreciate everything that Senator McCain has done for our country.”
[...]After reports on Trump’s apparent snub of McCain, American Legion national commander Denise Rohan wrote the president Monday urging him on behalf of the organization’s “two million wartime veterans” to order flags lowered until McCain’s burial to honor “an American hero.” During the day, governors in at least nine states -- Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania -- ordered flags flown at half-staff for the period.
The man was being a real butt.
Who he is, he caved under pressure.
Mueller should take notice of the tendency.
How will Giuliani spin it? Crudely at best. Ham-handed. He's a creature of habit. And of limitations.
Even Don Jr. would have shown more class. Yes, that bad.
And "two million wartime veterans" likely includes Trump favorite, astroturfing "veterans advocate," Hegseth. Who could not raise any such membership numbers for the Kochs any more than he could throw an ax straight and without peril to marching band members. But I digress . . .
______________UPDATE______________
The ultimate insult? Sending a supercilious toady to speak:
Trump said in his statement that Vice President Mike Pence would offer an address in honor of McCain at the Capitol on Friday and that the administration would be represented at McCain’s funeral by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, Defense Secretary James Mattis and National Security Adviser John Bolton.