--- title: John McCain's Speech to Naval Academy Graduates: Transcript description: The Arizona Senator also warned against "parties that preach resentful nationalism", in another implied swipe at President Trump. canonical: https://time.com/5003525/john-mccain-naval-academy-speech/ author: Eli Meixler article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-10-31T08:53:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T18:03:12.542Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read John McCain's Speech to Naval Academy Graduates og:description: "We have to fight isolationism, protectionism, and nativism" og:url: https://time.com/5003525/john-mccain-naval-academy-speech/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt193649094dc404c8/6988e3ec096a9473d46a0373/mccain-naval-academy_wong.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4020 og:image:height: 2261 og:image:alt: John McCain og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read John McCain's Speech to Naval Academy Graduates twitter:description: "We have to fight isolationism, protectionism, and nativism" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt193649094dc404c8/6988e3ec096a9473d46a0373/mccain-naval-academy_wong.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'It's Time to Wake Up.' 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Eli Meixler](https://time.com/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Oct 31, 2017 8:53 AM UTC  Sen. John McCain sits onstage after delivering remarks at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on Oct. 30, 2017. Sen. John McCain sits onstage after delivering remarks at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on Oct. 30, 2017. Patrick Semansky—AP by [Eli Meixler](https://time.com/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Oct 31, 2017 8:53 AM UTC Republican Sen. [John McCain](http://time.com/tag/john-mccain/) addressed the Brigade of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy on Oct. 30, thanking recruits for accepting the “sacrifices” of military service and recalling his own military and political career in a speech that was by turns lighthearted and stirring. McCain, 81, who described himself as an “undistinguished member of the Class of 1958” and served in the Navy until 1981, also cited some of the values celebrated at U.S. Naval Academy, including the importance of “sacrificing for something more important than yourself” and a commitment to “do the right thing, thanks or no thanks.” McCain, who has been embroiled in several [public spats](http://time.com/4993304/john-mccain-donald-trump-feud-remarks/) with President Donald Trump, used his speech in Annapolis, Maryland to warn against “parties that preach resentful nationalism rather than enlightened self-interest, nativism rather than equal justice.” Read McCain’s full remarks below: --- > “” --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5003525/john-mccain-naval-academy-speech/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5003525/john-mccain-naval-academy-speech/"},"headline":"'It's Time to Wake Up.' 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