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Barack Obama, Jimmy Kimmel, Reese Witherspoon and More Remember John McCain: ‘A Hero Has Fallen’

John McCain Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., smiles while on stage as he was joined by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at a town hall meeting, in Mesa, Ariz. McCain is facing a primary challenge from former Republican Rep. J.D. Hayworth in AugustMcCain's Last Stand, Mesa, USA
Ross D. Franklin/AP/REX/Shutters

Politicians, celebrities, and journalists paid tribute to John McCain, who died on Saturday night after a battle with brain cancer. The Arizona senator and decorated war hero was 81.

McCain’s daughter, Meghan McCain, penned a heartfelt tribute to her dad. “I was with my father at his end, as he was with me at my beginning,” she wrote on Twitter. “In the thirty-three years we shared together, he raised me, taught me, corrected me, comforted me, encouraged me, and supported me in all things. He loved me, and I loved him. He taught me how to live. His love and his care, ever present, always unfailing, took me from a girl to a woman — and he showed me what it is to be a man.”

His wife, Cindy McCain, said, “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.”

As a one-time Republican presidential nominee, McCain ran against Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. In a joint statement, Michelle and Barack Obama wrote, “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.”

Former Vice President Joe Biden wrote, “John McCain was many things – a proud graduate of the Naval Academy, a Senate colleague, a political opponent. But, to me, more than anything, John was a friend. He will be missed dearly.”

Former President Bill Clinton, President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Bernie Sanders were among the many political figures who paid respect to the political maverick.

Jimmy Kimmel wrote, “America lost a real hero today. Condolences to @cindymccain, the McCain family and the Arizonans who were so fortunate to have the opportunity to vote for a man of principle. John McCain’s sacrifice and the sacrifices made by all our POWs and MIAs must never be forgotten.”

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