Politics

John McCain Says He Won’t Return To Senate For Another Term

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain, in an excerpt from his new book “The Restless Wave,” spoke candidly about his cancer battle, the state of American politics, and the fact that he won’t seek another term in office.

“This is my last term,” McCain writes. “If I hadn’t admitted that to myself before this summer, a stage 4 cancer diagnosis acts as ungentle persuasion.”

The 81-year-old senator noted that without the pressure of another election, he was able to be far more open about the political climate than many of his colleagues.

“I’m freer than colleagues who will face the voters again. I can speak my mind without fearing the consequences much. And I can vote my conscience without worry.”

McCain called for a return to the politics of compromise and teamwork, putting country over party and focusing on the ideals we all share. “I would like to see us recover our sense that we are more alike than different.

McCain, who has often been critical of President Donald Trump, made no exception in the book. “He has declined to distinguish the actions of our government from the crimes of despotic ones. The appearance of toughness, or a reality show facsimile of toughness, seems to matter more than any of our values.”

A number of questions have been raised in recent weeks as to whether McCain, who has been at home in Arizona for several months recovering from the side effects of his cancer treatments, would even finish out the current term — but so far he has given no indication that he plans to resign.