WASHINGTON | John McCain, the six-term Arizona senator and the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, will discontinue medical treatment for his brain cancer, his family said Friday.
McCain has surpassed expectations for survival, but “the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict,” McCain’s family said in a statement. “With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment.”
McCain, who will turn 82 next week, served as a Navy pilot, and was held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than five years. He was elected to Congress in the early 1980s and to the Senate in 1986. McCain garnered a reputation as a lawmaker who was willing to stick to his convictions rather than go along with party leaders. It is a streak that draws a mix of respect and ire.
President Donald Trump has frequently been critical of McCain, especially for his vote against a Republican replacement for “Obamacare.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Twitter that he was “very sad to hear this morning’s update” from McCain’s family.
“We are so fortunate to call him our friend and colleague. John, Cindy, and the entire McCain family are in our prayers at this incredibly difficult hour,” McConnell said.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey called McCain “an American hero” who always put his country before himself.
McCain’s wife, Cindy, tweeted: “I love my husband with all of my heart. God bless everyone who has cared for my husband along this journey.”
McCain underwent surgery in July 2017 to remove a blood clot in his brain after being diagnosed with an aggressive tumor called a glioblastoma.
McCain quickly rebounded and returned to Washington, entering the Senate in late July to a standing ovation from his colleagues. In a dramatic turn, he later cast a deciding vote against the Republican health care bill, earning the wrath of Trump.
McCain’s condition worsened last fall and he has been in Arizona since December.
