'Don't react to it': Cindy McCain, wife of the late Republican senator, explains the 'tipping' point that led her to endorse Democrat Joe Biden

Cindy McCain, philanthropist and wife of the late Republican Sen. John McCain, explained the moment President Donald Trump crossed the line and spurred the decision to endorse his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden.

McCain recounted the numerous times Trump had disparaged her late husband, a longtime senator known for working with Democratic colleagues to pass legislation.

"When the president decided to call my children, and my husband, and my father, and all the other hundreds of people in my family who have served honorably 'losers' and 'suckers,' that was the tipping line for me," McCain said.

The McCain family has a long line of military service that stretches back decades.

Cindy McCain, philanthropist and wife of the late Republican Sen. John McCain, explained the moment President Donald Trump crossed the line and spurred her decision to endorse his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden.

Speaking at a "Republican Veterans for Biden-Harris" panel with other members of her party, McCain described what was a "very important issue" facing Americans ahead of the 2020 US presidential election.

"I'm a Republican ... and I have no intention of changing my party," McCain said to the panel. "That's not why I'm here. But I do believe that we need to do what's right for this country."

McCain recounted the numerous times Trump had disparaged her late husband, a longtime senator known for working with his Democratic colleagues to pass legislation. Throughout his candidacy, presidency, and even after the senator's death, Trump often derided John's public service, which included being captured and tortured for over five years during the Vietnam War.

In 2015, Trump rejected the notion of describing John as a war hero "because he was captured," adding that "I like people who weren't captured."

"I was listening to this," McCain said during the panel. "I'd listen through the months and listened to him denigrate my husband, and then denigrate my husband again while [John] was on his death bed."

"And John kept telling me, he said, 'Don't. It's just politics. Don't react to it,' McCain added. "And I didn't."

McCain went on to explain the moment where Trump crossed the line, referencing the numerous reports in which the president allegedly referred to death US service members as "suckers" and "losers." According to the initial report published in The Atlantic , Trump made critical remarks about service members and Republicans who served in the military.

During a trip to Paris in 2018, Trump reportedly resisted the idea of visiting a military cemetery to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I, saying that the revered site was "filled with losers" and "suckers" who died.

"But when the president decided to call my children, and my husband, and my father, and all the other hundreds of people in my family who have served honorably 'losers' and 'suckers,' that was the tipping line for me," McCain said.

John McCain died in 2018 after from an aggressive form of brain cancer. After his death, Trump was reportedly angry when the senator received half-staff flag honors. He told his staff of McCain, "We're not going to support that loser's funeral," sources with knowledge of the conversations told The Atlantic.

The McCain family has a long line of military service that stretches back for decades. More recently, Jack and Jimmy, McCain's two sons, have served in the US Navy, US Marine Corps, and Army National Guard.

McCain endorsed Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, and is featured in advertisements for the Biden campaign.

"If Joe Biden is elected he would be a president for all Americans, not just Americans that agree with him," she said.

A number of other prominent Republicans have said they will not vote for Trump, including former President George W. Bush and Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah.