Meghan McCain says her father's critics are 'going to have to answer for their own conscience' for caustic comments

Meghan McCain said on Monday that her father's critics are "going to have to answer for their own conscience" after a weekend war of words in which a conservative leader said the White House staffer who allegedly made stunningly disparaging comments about her father, Arizona Senator John McCain, is herself "a little bit of a victim here."

"The View" co-host's latest comments come after she revealed to ABC News over the weekend that Sadler, who reportedly said that Sen. McCain's disapproval of CIA director nominee Gina Haspel "doesn't matter, he's dying anyway," previously told her that she would make a public apology but she has yet to do so.

Beyond Sadler's lack of public apology, "The View" co-hosts also discussed a statement made by Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, who told CNN on Monday morning that he views Sadler as "a little bit of a victim here."

"My take on all of this, I said everything I had to say on this on Friday and to ABC's Tara Palmeri on Sunday. People are going to have to answer for their own conscience. When you go on TV -- I've never actually gone on TV and lied, I have that liberty in my life -- when you go on TV and you say things like this, your belief in right and wrong, people espouse a lot about God and living with values and you say things like that. It's what you're going to have to live with at this point," McCain said this morning.

McCain, a former Navy aviator who endured 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam in the 1970s, was diagnosed in July with a typically-fatal form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma.

Last Wednesday, Sen. McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement calling for a no vote on Haspel's confirmation because she didn't address concerns over her involvement in the so-called enhanced interrogation program during the administration of President George W. Bush.

Members of the Trump administration, including White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, have refused to address Sadler's alleged comments, saying they were leaked from a private internal conversation - but McCain said that people working in the White House should know that controversial comments they make may be leaked.

"If you're a public figure and you're working in the White House you should expect it to be leaked," she said on "The View."

While acknowledging that the drama has had an impact on her family, McCain said that she hopes that there is some positive impact that comes out of the larger discussion in terms of awareness of brain cancer.

"The only silver lining of all of this — including this horrific weekend and moment that my family has been having — is we have a platform to hopefully pivot this towards brain cancer research and helping especially children in need," she said.