John McCain Biography Quotes 30 Report mistakes

Early Life and Family
John Sidney McCain III was born on August 29, 1936, at Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone, then administered by the United States. He came from a storied Navy family: his grandfather, Admiral John S. McCain Sr., commanded carrier task forces in the Pacific during World War II, and his father, Admiral John S. McCain Jr., later led U.S. Pacific Command during the Vietnam War. His mother, Roberta McCain, was a lively presence throughout his public career and lived to a remarkable age, often joining him on the campaign trail. Growing up on and around naval bases, McCain absorbed a code of duty and service that would inform his entire life. Frequent moves and the demands of military life produced in him both independence and a streak of rebelliousness. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, graduated in 1958, and chose the path of a naval aviator.

Naval Service and Vietnam
After earning his wings, McCain flew attack aircraft from carriers. On October 26, 1967, during his 23rd bombing mission over North Vietnam, his A-4 Skyhawk was shot down over Hanoi. He suffered severe injuries ejecting, was captured, and spent more than five years as a prisoner of war in the Hoa Lo Prison, known to Americans as the Hanoi Hilton. Offered early release because his father had become commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, McCain refused to leave out of adherence to the POW code that prioritized release by date of capture. He endured torture, solitary confinement, and long deprivation alongside fellow prisoners such as Air Force pilot Bud Day. The experience left him with permanent physical limitations, but it also shaped his conception of honor, loyalty, and America's obligations to those who serve.

Return and Transition to Public Life
Released in 1973, McCain returned to the United States to a hero's welcome. He underwent extensive rehabilitation, resumed service, and later served as the Navy's liaison to the U.S. Senate. That assignment gave him an introduction to legislative life and a network of relationships. He retired from the Navy in 1981 with the rank of captain and a row of decorations, and moved to Arizona, where his second wife, Cindy Hensley McCain, had deep roots. Arizona would become his adopted home and political base.

U.S. House and Senate
McCain won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 and 1984, quickly crafting a profile as a defense-minded conservative with an independent streak. In 1986, he won the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barry Goldwater. McCain spent more than three decades in the Senate, developing expertise in national security, foreign policy, and commerce. He chaired the Senate Commerce Committee and, later in his career, the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he worked closely with colleagues such as Jack Reed and Carl Levin on defense policy and oversight.

His Senate tenure included controversy. In the late 1980s, McCain was one of the so-called Keating Five senators scrutinized for their contacts with savings-and-loan executive Charles Keating. The Senate Ethics Committee found he had exercised poor judgment but did not engage in corruption. McCain publicly acknowledged his mistake and emerged with a renewed focus on ethics and campaign finance reform.

Presidential Campaigns
McCain ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, casting himself as a reformer on the Straight Talk Express and winning a decisive New Hampshire primary. He ultimately lost the nomination to Governor George W. Bush after a bitter contest, particularly in South Carolina. He returned to the Senate, where he worked with Democrats such as Russ Feingold on campaign finance and with Joe Lieberman on climate legislation.

In 2008, McCain secured the Republican nomination for president. He selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, emphasizing reform and energy policy. The campaign unfolded during the global financial crisis, and McCain backed the emergency rescue legislation in Congress. He lost the general election to Senator Barack Obama and Senator Joe Biden, but was widely noted for his concession speech urging unity and praising his opponent's historic achievement.

Legislative Priorities and Bipartisanship
McCain's name is attached to notable bipartisan efforts. With Senator Russ Feingold, he co-authored the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, known as McCain-Feingold, aimed at curbing soft money and regulating political advertising. With Senator Ted Kennedy and later as part of a group that included Lindsey Graham, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, and Marco Rubio, he worked on comprehensive immigration reform. On detainee policy, he spearheaded the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, drawing on his own POW experience to insist the United States forbid cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of detainees.

McCain often described himself as a maverick. He crossed party lines on several high-profile issues, sparking both admiration and frustration within Republican ranks. He joined the so-called Gang of 14 to defuse a confrontation over judicial filibusters, and he maintained working relationships across the aisle, notably with Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, who were frequent travel and policy partners on national security issues.

National Security and Foreign Policy
A consistent hawk, McCain argued for strong American leadership abroad and a robust military. He supported the 2007 surge in Iraq and was an early critic of Russian aggression. He advocated for dissidents and democratic activists, frequently meeting with opposition figures from authoritarian countries. As Armed Services chairman, he pressed the Pentagon on acquisition reform and accountability, while pushing to modernize U.S. capabilities. His worldview was shaped by personal sacrifice and a belief that American power should be guided by values as well as interests.

Later Years, Illness, and Legacy
In 2016, McCain won another term in the Senate. The next year, he underwent surgery and was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. Shortly afterward, in July 2017, he returned to Washington and cast a dramatic vote against a last-ditch effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, urging a return to regular order and bipartisan legislating. The moment underscored his blend of conservatism and institutional loyalty. He continued to speak out on U.S. global leadership, the importance of alliances, and the threats posed by authoritarianism.

McCain died on August 25, 2018, in Arizona. He lay in state at the Arizona Capitol and at the U.S. Capitol, and was honored at memorial services where former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush eulogized him. He was buried at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, near his friend Admiral Chuck Larson. His legacy includes a commitment to service, a belief in honorable conduct in war and politics, and a reputation for candor that won admirers across party lines even when they disagreed with him.

Personal Life
McCain married Carol Shepp in 1965; the couple divorced in 1980. That same year he married Cindy Hensley, an Arizona businesswoman and philanthropist. Their blended family includes seven children: Douglas, Andrew, and Sidney from his first marriage, and Meghan, John Jack IV, James Jimmy, and Bridget with Cindy. Cindy McCain was a constant partner in his public life, and daughter Meghan McCain later became a prominent commentator. McCain also maintained a long collaboration with aide and co-author Mark Salter, with whom he wrote memoirs including Faith of My Fathers. He enjoyed books, Navy football, and the desert landscapes of Arizona, and he never stopped speaking about the obligations he believed came with American citizenship: to serve a cause greater than oneself.

Our collection contains 30 quotes who is written by John, under the main topics: Truth - Justice - Leadership - Dark Humor - Freedom.

Other people realated to John: George W. Bush (President), Jeff Miller (Politician), Steve Forbes (Businessman), Janet Napolitano (Politician), Joe Lieberman (Politician), Carly Fiorina (Businessman), John Lewis (Politician), James Stockdale (Soldier), Tom Tancredo (Politician), John Warner (Politician)

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