John McCain memorial: Barack Obama, George W Bush eulogise late Senator in Washington; Donald Trump absent from service

John McCain memorial: Barack Obama, George W Bush eulogise late Senator in Washington; Donald Trump absent from service

FP Staff February 14, 2019, 15:30:29 IST

Former US presidents and John McCain’s family members gathered on Saturday at the Washington National Cathedral to honor and remember the late senator.

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Former US presidents, including Barack Obama, and John McCain’s family members gathered on Saturday at the Washington National Cathedral to honour and remember the late senator. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump stuck to his Saturday routine and headed to a golf course. He did not offer any commentary on McCain’s memorial service. AP

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McCain’s body, which had lain in state at the US Capitol, arrived at the cathedral with a motorcade that first stopped at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. AP

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McCain’s wife, Cindy, laid a wreath to honour those who died in the war at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. AP

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Other attendees at the memorial included former presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush, and Laura Bush, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, comedian Jay Leno, and former senators Bob Dole and John Kerry. AP

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Obama, in his eulogy, hailed the one-time prisoner of war for his commitment to truth and core democratic values. He said that he and McCain ‘didn’t advertise it’, but they would meet almost weekly in the Oval Office to talk about policy and also their families. AP

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Obama also said that McCain, who battled fiercely but respectfully in the political arena, ‘made us better presidents - just as he made the Senate better, just as he made the country better.’ AP

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Former president George W Bush described McCain as a man with a code in his eulogy. He recalled a champion for the ‘forgotten people’ at home and abroad whose legacy will serve as a reminder of the power of America. AP

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The late senator’s daughter Meghan McCain also delivered an emotional rebuke to Trump without mentioning his name. Taking aim at Trump’s campaign slogan, ‘Make America Great Again,’ she said McCain’s America was always great. AP

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