--- title: ‘Character. Courage. Integrity. Honor.’ Joe Biden Shares Heartfelt Tribute to His Friend John McCain description: Former Vice President Joe Biden joined the chorus of friends, family and supporters paying tribute to Ariz. Sen. John McCain canonical: https://time.com/5378342/john-mccain-dies-joe-biden/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-08-26T02:04:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T21:15:33.279Z article:section: Politics og:title: Joe Biden Shares Heartfelt Tribute to His Friend John McCain og:description: "To me, more than anything, John was a friend" og:url: https://time.com/5378342/john-mccain-dies-joe-biden/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt55fe5edc848c3927/698938b8bc6cfcfab63e6cba/gettyimages-862141928.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: John McCain Honored With Liberty Medal For A Lifetime Of Service og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Joe Biden Shares Heartfelt Tribute to His Friend John McCain twitter:description: "To me, more than anything, John was a friend" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt55fe5edc848c3927/698938b8bc6cfcfab63e6cba/gettyimages-862141928.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Character. Courage. Integrity. Honor.' Joe Biden Shares Heartfelt Tribute to His Friend John McCain > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### 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 [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Aug 26, 2018 2:04 AM UTC  Sen. John McCain receives the the 2017 Liberty Medal from former Vice President Joe Biden at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Penn., on Oct. 16, 2017. Sen. John McCain receives the the 2017 Liberty Medal from former Vice President Joe Biden at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Penn., on Oct. 16, 2017. William Thomas Cain—Getty Images by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Aug 26, 2018 2:04 AM UTC Former Vice President Joe Biden joined the chorus of friends, family and supporters paying tribute to Ariz. Sen. John McCain, who [passed away](http://time.com/5179302/john-mccain-dies/) Saturday following a battle with brain cancer. “John McCain was many things – a proud graduate of the Naval Academy, a Senate colleague, a political opponent,” Biden said on Twitter. “But, to me, more than anything, John was a friend. He will be missed dearly.” In a statement shared shortly after the announcement of McCain’s death, Biden reflected on the Senator’s experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, his unsuccessful bid for America’s highest office and his unwavering commitment to the nation. “John McCain’s life is proof that some truths are timeless. Character. Courage. Integrity. Honor,” the statement says. “A life lived embodying those truths casts a long, long shadow.” > [](https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1033519001719263232) McCain [announced he was stopping medical treatment](http://time.com/5377364/john-mccain-stopping-medical-treatment-cancer/) for glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, on Friday, a little more than a year after he revealed the diagnosis. He passed away less than 48 hours later, surrounded by his wife Cindy and his family. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5378342/john-mccain-dies-joe-biden/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5378342/john-mccain-dies-joe-biden/"},"headline":"'Character. Courage. Integrity. Honor.' 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