John McCain, a Vietnam war hero, maverick senator and former Republican presidential candidate, died at age 81 on Saturday.
The U.S. senator from Arizona died at 4:28 p.m. His wife, Cindy, and their family were with him when he passed away, according to his office.
McCain battled an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma for over a year. On Friday, the senator’s family announced that he had made a decision to discontinue his medical treatment.
In a tweet Saturday, his TV commentator daughter, Meghan McCain, wrote, “I love you forever — my beloved father.”
During his last few months, McCain posted a series of tweets and statements fighting for what he believed was right for the country.
He defended special counsel Robert Mueller and his investigation into Russian intereference of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He condemned President Donald Trump’s zero tolerance policy and “America first” ideology.
McCain criticized Trump’s performance during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. He called it “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.” He added that Trump’s Helsinki summit with Putin was a “tragic mistake.”
