United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice met with three of her top critics Tuesday in a bid to settle claims by Republicans that she knowingly misled the American people about the fatal attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi. After the meeting, the three Republican senators appeared to harden their opposition to Rice’s potential nomination as secretary of state. Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire both vowed they would seek to block Rice from succeeding Hillary Clinton. Arizona Sen. John McCain told reporters after the meeting he was still concerned about early statements by Rice about the Libya attacks.

Arizona Sen. John McCain: “It is clear that the information that she gave the American people was incorrect when she said that it was a spontaneous demonstration triggered by a hateful video. It was not, and there was compelling evidence at the time that that was certainly not the case, including statements by Libyans as well as other Americans who are fully aware that people don’t bring mortars and rocket-propelled grenades to spontaneous demonstrations.”