White House, Navy exchanged emails about keeping USS McCain out of Trump's sight

President Donald Trump and John McCain's long-running feud is back in the spotlight following reports that White House and lower-level US Navy officials traded emails about keeping a warship named from the late senator's father and grandfather out of sight ahead of the President's trip to Japan.

Two Navy officials confirmed to CNN Wednesday night that the White House Military Office asked lower-level US Navy officials about keeping the ship out of view. One of the Navy officials further clarified Thursday morning that the discussion included obscuring the ship or moving it, which was not practical because the ship was under repairs at the time.

"Once leadership heard about it, they said knock it off," a senior Navy official told CNN.

The ship ultimately was not moved nor was anything done to obscure McCain's name, said Cmdr. Clay Doss, a spokesman for the 7th Fleet, and Trump tweeted Wednesday night that he was "not informed about anything having to do with the Navy Ship USS John S. McCain." But the emails underscore Trump's extraordinary and bitter personal feud with McCain, with whom he frequently sparred when the Arizona Republican was alive and even after he passed away from brain cancer in August.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the discussions about moving the ship. The President ultimately spoke to troops at a Memorial Day event aboard the USS Wasp in Yokosuka, Japan.

The Journal reported Wednesday that a tarp was put in place to cover the ship's name since it could not be moved due to repairs, but three Navy officials speaking to CNN pushed back on this claim.

"We didn't do anything to obstruct the name of the ship. The Wall Street Journal piece refers to a photo of a tarp covering the ship, that photo was taken Friday, May 24, the tarp was removed the following day," another US Navy official told CNN.

The official said they had not seen the emails in question, but was adamant nothing had been done to obscure the ship.

Another Navy official with direct knowledge of the matter told CNN that the tarp and paint palette were there for preservation and maintenance purposes, adding that the palette is a typical fixture for docked ships. The official said the ship's commanding officer wasn't aware of the tarp and that it was gone before he arrived on board Saturday.