Former President Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton paid tribute to Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Saturday, following the announcement of the Republican lawmaker’s death.
“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 in a statement.
“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.”
{mosads}
Clinton also sent out a tweet of her own, saying McCain “lived a life of service to his country, from his heroism in the Navy to 35 years in Congress.”
“He was a tough politician, a trusted colleague, and there will simply never be another like him. My thoughts and prayers are with Cindy and his entire family,” she continued.
McCain died Saturday at age 81 after battling an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Numerous colleagues and politicians took to social media to mourn McCain, who survived years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam before becoming a leading actor on the political stage for decades.