He tells Fox’s Bill Hemmer it wasn’t a mistake to cancel a stop at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, saying the Pentagon warned him it could be seen as political.

“And at that point, the last thing I wanted to do is to in anyway distract the terrific work that’s being done in terms of treating our troops, by getting it fouled up by a bunch of politics.”

Watch video clip above. Read interview excerpts here.

McCain camp responds: Issues statement by retired Lt. Colonel Joe Repya. Read it here.

Obama also tapes interview to air on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” before leaving London.