A new report states that the White House went to stunning lengths to keep the USS John McCain hidden during President Donald Trump’s recent trip to Japan.

According to the Wall Street Journal, a U.S. Indo-Pacific Command official — after conversations with White House Military office and the seventh fleet of the Navy — emailed the following order to Navy and Air Force officials: “USS John McCain needs to be out of sight.

How did those responsible go about doing that? WSJ writers Rebecca Ballhaus and Gordon Lubold report the shocking details:

A tarp was hung over the ship’s name ahead of the president’s trip, according to photos reviewed by the Journal, and sailors were directed to remove any coverings from the ship that bore its name. After the tarp was taken down, a barge was moved closer to the ship, obscuring its name. Sailors on the ship, who typically wear caps bearing its name, were given the day off during Mr. Trump’s visit, people familiar with the matter said.

Trump’s feud with McCain dates back years — with the president famously, in 2016, questioning the late senator’s status as a war hero by saying “I like people who weren’t captured.”

Already, the president is coming under heavy criticism over this report. We will post a sampling of the reaction from social media momentarily.