“Washington, D.C. – John McCain says he has no idea what Ted Cruz is talking about – again. McCain, the Arizona senator who called Cruz a “whacko bird,” said the Texas senator running for president never pressed him to hold hearings about whether soldiers should be allowed to carry a personal firearm on military bases – a claim Cruz made Sunday at a campaign stop in New Hampshire.

“According to The Hill, McCain, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, told reporters Monday: “You know, I was fascinated to hear that because I haven’t heard a thing about it from him. Nor has my staff heard from his staff. Where did that come from? I have not a clue.” He added that he would be “glad to discuss the issue” with Cruz to see if there should be a hearing.

“But Cruz’s assertion Sunday that he has been “pressing” McCain for a hearing came as a “complete surprise” to the Arizona senator and one-time GOP presidential nominee. McCain said, according to The Hill: “Maybe it was through some medium that I’m not familiar with. Maybe bouncing it off the ozone layer, for all I know. There’s a lot of holes in the ozone layer, so maybe it wasn’t the ozone layer that he bounced it off of. Maybe it was through hand telegraph, maybe sign language, who knows?”

“Cruz acknowledged Tuesday that he had “misspoken” when he told an audience at a hunting club in New Hampshire that he has been “pressing” McCain to call hearings on the issue, which he said he was “very concerned about.” Cruz said Tuesday on Fox News: “I will acknowledge I may have misspoken in New Hampshire when I said that I’ve been pressing John McCain and that what I have been pressing is the Armed Services Committee and John McCain is the new chairman of it.”

Speaking with Newslo, McCain revealed that although he has had a “relatively decent” relationship with his younger colleague, Cruz is still a “young bird that decided it wants to learn how to fly a little too soon.”

“You know, politics is an art and a craft. It requires time and most of all, experience in order to master. Cruz is very intelligent, I’ve said that before and I’ll gladly say it again, but he just lacks the experience to be a good politician, let alone a good president. Right now, he’s like a baby bird waving his tiny little wings for the first time and he thinks he can do anything. If he’s not careful, he’ll hit the ground hard,” McCain said.

“And another thing,” he added. “It would be better for him and this country that he doesn’t win presidency. For the time being, someone should put him back in his cage before he ends up hurting innocent people.”