All living presidents honor McCain after his death

All living U.S. presidents issued statements honoring GOP Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) after the announcement of his death Saturday afternoon.

McCain, 81, died on Saturday after battling an aggressive form of brain cancer.

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He survived years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam before becoming a leading actor on the political stage for decades.

President Trump shared his condolences with McCain’s family, tweeting Saturday evening, “My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain. Our hearts and prayers are with you!” 

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

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama also issued a statement saying that “we are all in his debt.”

“Few of us have been tested the way John once was, or required to show the kind of courage that he did. But all of us can aspire to the courage to put the greater good above our own,” they wrote. “At John’s best, he showed us what that means. And for that, we are all in his debt. Michelle and I send our most heartfelt condolences to Cindy and their family.” 

Our statement on the passing of Senator John McCain: pic.twitter.com/3GBjNYxoj5

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 26, 2018

Former President George W. Bush wrote that it was difficult to imagine McCain’s death.

“Some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended. Some voices are so vibrant, it is hard to think of them stilled. John McCain was a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order.” 

“Some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended. Some voices are so vibrant, it is hard to think of them stilled. John McCain was a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order.” […] Full statement by President George W. Bush https://t.co/FQVYWIUyGL pic.twitter.com/W8LCxJXRLi

— George W. Bush Presidential Center (@TheBushCenter) August 26, 2018

Former President Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton praised McCain’s service, writing that the senator was “never afraid to break the mold if it was the right thing to do.”

“Senator 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,” the Clintons wrote.

“He was a skilled, tough politician, as well as a trusted colleague alongside whom Hillary was honored to serve in the Senate. He frequently put partisanship aside to do what he thought was best for the country, and was never afraid to break the mold if it was the right thing to do.”

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

Former President George H.W. Bush wrote that McCain was “a patriot of the highest order,” touting him as a “public servant of rarest courage.”

“John McCain was a patriot of the highest order, a public servant of rarest courage,” George H.W. Bush wrote. “Few sacrificed more for, or contributed more to, the welfare of his fellow citizens – and indeed freedom-loving peoples around the world. Another America maverick and warrior General George Patton, once observed: ‘We should thank God that men such as these have lived.’”

Statement by former President @GeorgeHWBush on the passing of U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona. pic.twitter.com/joT1reIihM

— Jim McGrath (@jgm41) August 26, 2018

Former President Jimmy Carter wrote that Americans would be “forever grateful” for McCain’s military service and “steadfast integrity” while in office.

“John McCain was a man of honor, a true patriot in the best sense of the word,” Carter wrote. “Americans will be forever grateful for his heroic military service and his steadfast integrity as a member of the United States Senate. Rosalynn and I extend our sincere condolences to Senator McCain’s family and to the people of Arizona whom he represented so forthrightly for so many years.” 

STATEMENT BY FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER ON THE PASSING OF SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN pic.twitter.com/dcuUIJp8tK

— The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) August 26, 2018