Trump pays tribute to McCain

President Trump paid tribute to GOP Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Saturday, shortly after McCain’s office announced the senator’s death.

“My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain. Our hearts and prayers are with you!” Trump tweeted.

My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain. Our hearts and prayers are with you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2018

McCain, a giant of the Senate, died Saturday afternoon following a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer.

{mosads}

His family announced Friday that he had chosen to discontinue medical treatment for the cancer, saying the “progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age” had rendered “their verdict.”

McCain, 81, survived years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam before rising to become a giant of the Senate and a leading actor on the political stage for decades.

Despite his absence from the Senate this year, McCain made a notable imprint on Trump’s presidency.

The Senator criticized Trump for his trade policies in June, telling longtime allies after a Group of Seven summit that “Americans stand with you, even if our president doesn’t.” 

Last month, he took aim at Trump for not being tougher on Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit between the two world leaders, slamming Trump’s performance as “disgraceful” and the meeting itself as a “tragic mistake.”

And, in a Washington Post op-ed, the GOP senator urged Trump to cease his attacks on the media.

Trump has lashed out at McCain since the campaign trail.

Shortly after announcing his presidential campaign, Trump mocked McCain for being captured during the Vietnam War, saying “he’s not a war hero” and that he “[likes] people who weren’t captured.”

The Washington Post reported earlier Saturday that Trump told people that he does not regret the comment.

It was reported earlier this year that McCain did not want Trump to attend his funeral.