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# ‘Do Not Despair of Our Present Difficulties.’ John McCain’s Powerful Farewell Letter

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MzkzkvkM.m3u8" -->
## Video: ‘Do Not Despair of Our Present Difficulties.’ John McCain’s Powerful Farewell Letter

[Watch (HLS stream): ‘Do Not Despair of Our Present Difficulties.’ John McCain’s Powerful Farewell Letter](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MzkzkvkM.m3u8) (4:06)

![‘Do Not Despair of Our Present Difficulties.’ John McCain’s Powerful Farewell Letter](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/MzkzkvkM/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2018-08-27. ‘Do Not Despair of Our Present Difficulties.’ John McCain’s Powerful Farewell Letter_


---

Jul 28, 2023 12:28 AM UTC

---

## More From This Series

[All Videos](https://time.com/video/)

["John McCain's Impact on America is Not Over" Joe Biden Honors John McCain](/video/7s7IBWth/)

### "John McCain's Impact on America is Not Over" Joe Biden Honors John McCain

[TIME: How John McCain’s Death Will Reshape the Senate](/video/ZU083ntC/)

### TIME: How John McCain’s Death Will Reshape the Senate

[John McCain's Family Bids Him Farewell At Arizona State Capital ](/video/Sj9Zuj9z/)

### John McCain's Family Bids Him Farewell At Arizona State Capital

---


## Transcript

My fellow Americans, whom I have gratefully served for 60 years, and especially my fellow Arizonians, thank you for the privilege of serving you and for the rewarding life that service in uniform and in public office has allowed me to lead. I've tried to serve our country Honorably. I have made mistakes. But I hope my love for America will be waived favorably against them. I owe the satisfaction to the love of my family. One man has never had a more loving wife or children he was prouder of then I am of mine. And I owe it to America to be connected to America's causes, liberty, equal justice, respect for the dignity of all people.

Brings happiness more sublime than life's fleeting pleasure. Our identities and sense of worth are not circumscribed But are enlarged by serving good causes bigger than ourselves. Fellow Americans, that association has meant more to me than any other. I lived and died a proud American. We are citizens of the world's [ COUGH ] greatest republic, a nation of ideals, not blood and soil. We are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world. We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism With tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe.

We weaken it when we hide behind walls rather than tear them down. When we doubt the power of our ideals rather than trust them To be the great force for change they've always been. We are 325 million opinionated, vociferous individuals. We argue and compete, and sometimes even vilify each other in our ruckus public debates But we have always had so much more in common with each other than in disagreement. If only we remember that and give each other The benefit of teh presumption that we all love our country. We will get through these challenging times. we will come through them stronger than before.

We always do. Ten years ago I had the privledge and conceed defeat in the election for president. I want to end my farewell to you with heartfelt faith in Americans that I felt So powerfully that evening. I feel it powerfully still. Do not despair of our present difficulties. We believe always in the promise and greatness of America because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history, we make history Farewell fellow Americans. God bless you. And God bless America.

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