Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W, Bush, and more political figures, friends, and loved ones remember the man known as ‘The Maverick.’ The 81…
Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W, Bush, and more political figures, friends, and loved ones remember the man known as ‘The Maverick.’
The 81-year-old Arizona Senator lived many lives as a bomber pilot in the Navy, a Vietnam prisoner of war, a U. S. senator, a two-time presidential candidate, and a family man. But John McCain will always be best remembered as an American hero.
“I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again; I wasn’t my own man anymore; I was my country’s,” McCain said in his 2008 Republican National Convention speech.
Reaction to the death of John McCain came swiftly on Saturday night. President Donald Trump issued his “deepest sympathies” to the McCain family on Twitter, as did President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, who released a joint statement on the Senator’s passing. President Bill Clinton praised McCain for his “heroic service in the Navy and 35 years in Congress,” while President George W. Bush remembered McCain as “a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order.”
Countless U. S. Senators and other political figures took to social media to remember the late war hero and politician, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who described McCain as “a man of decency and a friend of mine.”
Cindy McCain, the late Senator’s wife of 38 years, wrote that she is “heartbroken” by his death, but was comforted by the fact that her husband died as he lived his life — on his own terms and surrounded by his loved ones.
John McCain’s daughter, Meghan, posted a poignant tribute to her father writing that while the world has lost the “hero of the republic… the warrior now enters his true and eternal life.”
Hollywood stars, even those who didn’t always agree with McCain’s politics, also paid their respects, as did McCain’s favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. You can see the reaction to the death of John McCain below.
My heart is broken. I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this incredible man for 38 years. He passed the way he lived, on his own terms, surrounded by the people he loved, in the place he loved best.
— Cindy McCain (@cindymccain) August 26,2018
I love you forever – my beloved father @SenJohnMcCain pic.twitter.com/Y50tVQvlVe
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) August 26,2018
Our statement on the passing of Senator John McCain: pic.twitter.com/3GBjNYxoj5
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 26,2018
John McCain believed that every citizen has a responsibility to make something of the freedoms given by our Constitution, and from his heroic service in the Navy to his 35 years in Congress, he lived by his creed every day. https://t.co/946T7PnG53
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) August 26,2018
George W. Bush responds to the passing of Senator John McCain: pic.twitter.com/V6QUDh4RZ8
— PMW News (@PorterMediaNews) August 26,2018
Karen and I are praying for Senator John McCain, Cindy and their family this weekend. May God bless them all during this difficult time.
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) August 25,2018
John McCain was many things – a proud graduate of the Naval Academy, a Senate colleague, a political opponent.
But, to me, more than anything, John was a friend. He will be missed dearly. pic.twitter.com/AS8YsMLw3d
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 26,2018
Heavy hearts with the loss of a great friend. pic.twitter.com/dU6kDtScU4
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) August 26,2018
John McCain was an American hero, a man of decency and honor and a friend of mine. He will be missed not just in the U. S. Senate but by all Americans who respect integrity and independence. Jane and I send our deepest condolences to his family.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 26,2018
John McCain was a great American, a terrific Senator, and a wonderful friend and mentor who taught me so much. May God be with this hero who has earned his rest.
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) August 26,2018
From his service in the United States Navy to his nearly four decades in Congress, John McCain literally lived a life of service to this country, and our nation is better for it.
— Senator Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons) August 26,2018
John McCain was a great American, a terrific Senator, and a wonderful friend and mentor who taught me so much. May God be with this hero who has earned his rest.
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) August 26,2018
Senator John McCain was a patriot, and an extraordinary American war hero. Heidi and I send our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Cindy, and to the entire McCain family, as they grieve the loss of a loving husband, father, and grandfather. May he Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/PkOCPFVdf7
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) August 26,2018
Condolences and prayers to the McCain Family.
Gratitude and respect for John McCain, who served the nation honorably and courageously as a Navy Captain, POW in Vietnam, and US Senator.
May he Rest In Peace.
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) August 26,2018
America has lost one of its iconic political leaders with the passing of John McCain. He was of course a senator of distinction and a presidential candidate. Born into a storied military family, McCain first earned national attention during his years of imprisonment in Vietnam.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) August 26,2018
Goodbye to an American hero, one we were lucky enough to call a loyal fan.
Rest in peace, Senator John McCain. Our thoughts are with your family and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/KIMZS1w7Pq
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 26,2018
On Friday, the McCain family announced that the Senator, “with his usual strength of will,” had decided to stop treatment for the stage-four glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer he had been battling since last summer.
