Senator John McCain has passed away at the age of 81 and politicians on both sides of the political spectrum are sharing their respects to the late maverick conservative.
He passed away a day after his family announced that the Vietnam War hero would stop treatment for his stage-four brain cancer.
The Arizona Republican died at 4.28pm on Saturday surrounded by family and aides at his Arizona ranch.
Donald Trump led a stream of online tributes to the president, tipping off his hat to the senator with a one line message, followed by a heartfelt two-paragraph statement issued by the Obamas.
‘My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain. Our hearts and prayers are with you!’ the president tweeted Saturday evening.
Tributes have poured in from politicians and celebrities to honor the life of Senator John McCain who passed away Saturday afternoon at the age of 81 of stage four brain cancer
Trump paid his respects Saturday evening sharing his ‘deepest sympathies’ to the McCain family in a one line tribute
The First Lady also shared her sympathies, thanking McCain for his service to the nation
The senator’s wife Cindy McCain took to Twitter to share her heartbreak upon her husband’s death.
‘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 the place he loved best,’ she wrote Saturday evening.
Their daughter Meghan McCain also shared a touching note with her Twitter followers where she wrote: ‘I love you forever – my beloved father’.
‘I was with my father at his end, as he was with me at my beginning…All that I am is thank to him. Now that he is gone, the task of my lifetime is to live up to his example, his expectations, and his love,’ she wrote.
‘He was a great fire who burned bright, and we lived in his light and warmth for so very long. We know that his flame lives on, in each of us’
The late senator’s wife shared her heartbreak on Twitter saying: ‘I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this incredible man for 38 years.’
Meghan McCain shared a moving letter announcing the death of her father on Saturday evening
The Obama’s shared a lengthy tribute to McCain, praising the Vietnam veteran’s courage
Former president George W. Bush called McCain ‘a friend whom I’ll deeply miss’ in tribute
Sarah Palin, McCain’s former running mate in his 2008 presidential campaign, took to Twitter to write: ‘John McCain was a maverick and a fighter, never afraid to stand for his beliefs’
‘My father is gone, and I miss him only as an adoring daughter can. But in this loss, and in this sorrow, I take comfort in this: John McCain, hero of the republic and to his little girl, wakes today to something more glorious than anything on this earth.
‘Today the warrior enters his true and eternal life, greeted by those who have gone before him rising to meet the Author of All Things: “The dream is ended: this is the morning.”‘
The Obamas also issued a statement commending the Arizona native as inspiration to the nation.
‘John McCain and I were members of different generations, came from completely different backgrounds, and competed at the highest level of politics. But we shared, for all our differences, a fidelity to something higher – the ideals for which generations of Americans and immigrants alike have fought, marched, and sacrificed.’
The statement continued: ‘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. 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.’
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said all flags in the state to be lowered to half-staff in honor of McCain’s dedication to his state and the nation
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster hailed McCain ‘among the greatest of men’
Former Speaker of the House John Boehner said the Arizona senator ‘lived with courage until the end’
Sarah Palin took to twitter to share her condolences as well. She was McCain’s running mate during the 2008 presidential election.
‘Today we lost an American original. Sen. John McCain was a maverick and a fighter, never afraid to stand for his beliefs. John never took the easy path in life – and through sacrifice and suffering he inspired others to serve something greater than self,’ she wrote, calling him a dear friend.
Former president George W. Bush called McCain ‘a man of deep conviction’ and his dear friend in a touching tribute.
‘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,’ he said.
‘He was a public servant in the finest traditions of our country. And to me, he was a friend whom I’ll deeply miss. Laura and I send our heartfelt sympathies to Cindy and the entire McCain family, and our thanks to God for the life of John McCain,’ he added.
The American flag at the White House was lowered to half-staff after McCain’s passing
Paying respects: Flags across the nation were lowered to half mast following senator’s death
A hearse arrived to the Sedona, Arizona home of the late senator on Saturday evening
A military veteran paid respects at the entrance to the McCain ranch complex where the senator passed away surrounded by family and aides on Saturday afternoon
Former vice president Al Gore shared a statement as well calling McCain ‘a true patroit’.
‘Senator McCain was an American hero and a true patriot … I have no doubt that the Maverick’s legacy will forever be an important model of leadership and civil discourse,’ he wrote.
US House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted her condolences as well.
‘He was a patriotic, courageous hero who served his country above all. You will be missed, Senator McCain. May you Rest In Peace.’
Arizona governor shared a lengthy statement as well calling McCain ‘a giant. An icon. An American hero. He will never be forgotten.’
He also ordered all flags be lowered to half-staff in remembrance of the trailblazer’s life. He is expected to be named as McCain’s replacement in Senate.
Senator John McCain’s family announced Friday he would discontinue treatment for his aggressive terminal brain cancer
The Arizona Republican was diagnosed with aggressive glioblastoma last summer
On Friday the McCain family announced in a joint statement that the 81-year-old would stop treatment for his aggressive brain cancer that forced him to step away from Washington in December in order to seek medical treatment.
‘Last summer, Senator John McCain shared with Americans the news our family already knew: he had been diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma, and the prognosis was serious.
‘In the year since, John has surpassed expectations for his survival. But the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict. With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment.
‘Our family is immensely grateful for the support and kindness of all his caregivers over the last year, and for the continuing outpouring of concern and affection from John’s many friends and associates, and the many thousands of people who are keeping him in their prayers. God bless and thank you all.’