Transcript for John McCain, a devout maverick, dies at 81: Part 1
Near the john retreated T a place H had grown to love.me near sedona, Arizona. Hves nature. He likesting back to it, and the streams that run through his little sprea It’s very evidenhe emotion that he feels for this particulend in the river, wh whereas. Yeah, yeah I do some, yeah. In raw footage of1999 ABC intervw with S Donaldson in window rock,e ce Ross this unguded moment, between take senator mccai pointing out the ral beauty around them. S, aey you got 19 is of. You see the pur on the older you get,he more you appreciate wildflowers and beauty. Is that true? Absolutely. Senator mccn spent nearly all of his long legendary life serving his country. Three deshe united Nate. Arter cent in the Navy. A U.S. Pilot with a rather prominent name was shot down duringd north viet Wle flyin bombing missions over north Vietnam, he was S down, captured a tortured. Survivinarly sixrs as a prisoner of war. He as denied being a I steadfastly reject that Bel. Heroes of my lifere those whose names engraved on wall down attnam war memorial on the mall. E was reluctant whenple saidu’re a war hero. John McCain, by S Dow by a soviet missile over Hanoi, did not consider that he H performed a hero He was an avid Rea and prolific write au of seven books with mark salter. He would tell the life he chose to live is the M rewarding lifan being could ve. Samaldson asking McCain about book, F ourfaths.” I believe the overall message is the redemptive powers of a mmitment cause gre than one’s self-interest, even if that commit is made by imperfect people. E is wickedlynn Come on, going ha pleyf chances to be president. It’s my turn. He does not takeimself too ously. But he Tak his cause incredibly seriously. There’s Lally no difference bethe PC John McCain and the privaten McCain. What you see is what you get. I’m afraid Mr. Putin might be one ofho that wants to make run time. That’s one of thereat aspects political LI washat he walked the walk he the guyou could rely on S tell you what believed. I think wee to examine every agency O government and find out those are doing their job and keephem find out those thatand eliminate them. He W plain spoken to a fault. Breathtaki blunt. He wast mave.riginal American. Mccai the Jo L to in his owdirection.unafraid to S things that were popular with whoever he was talking to. And at ided the leadership of his own party. We’re here to vote we’re not ho things. J McCain fight. Johnccain, in someways, loved a fight withbers O his own party M hi say to my friend from Utah you’re Noto every fight here. O win ever battle here. It should not be Surpris at the final political battle of the tor’s life was againse leader of his own pa presidenttr it began aft McCain cricized then-canditrump. Trump firin back in an ak that stunned so many. But L me get to it. He me- He’s a war he He’s a –‘S a war ecause he wased.ie pple that weren’t caed, okay? Couldn’t believe . Just couldn’t believe it. How ou D that? Much? It was so deeply offeive. Not just on a personal level to McCain, buto allse am heencaptured. Been P.O.W.S. Coming from somebody who the draft. Imean, was a deeply offensive thin I remember calling hi and he id, calmdown. Look bad. It M him look bad. He’s a . And he’s acting like a. Couldn’t have cared ss. Thi is part of WHA iizes John McCain. The tnsult to this man was even closeot was done to him in Vietnam. Characterf the man shining through his, H fds say, right up until the in hisast significant vote and finape I T place he considered halloground, th floor of the senate. Came back after having surgeriterally after havinain surg Mandating legislation F the downhout any support from the other si W all the parliamentary manrs that requires, we’reetting not done, my friends. We’re ING nothing done. Andav imned about the need for the partieo cetogether, to come a solution to Obamacare. Let’s return order. We’ve been spinning ourel T many impor issues cause we keep tryto find a way to win without ac T aisle. Then, three dter, with a single defiant gesture, striking down what heaw uided legislation, anattempt to repeal but not replace Obamacare. The down poig of his thumb, S the effort to with one blow, eliminate the affordable care abilct. With us a dramatic vote. It wasccn, his last big gislative priority for his pa Now, you say, we that — was thaevenge against Donald Trump? , I don’t know. Pdent trump never forgave John McCain for that even as McCain was dying in izmp would bt up at rallie 3:00 in the morning, thumb’s down. Ths down. B’s down. Some would say John mn’s wholeim to that nt, a life that was a pre in courage
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.