While John McCain and President Donald Trump were in the same party, their rivalry was bitter. The Vietnam war hero was one of the most outspoken Republican critics of Mr Trump from the very start of his candidacy. Mr Trump meanwhile infamously questioned his heroism for being captured in the Vietnam War. Here are five key moments that marked a sharp political and personal feud.
1. McCain objected to Trump strigents policies on immigration especially the Mexico Wall.
In the summer of 2015, Donald Trump launched his bid for to be the Republican Party's presidential nominee with an attack on Mexican immigrants.
"They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and some I assume are good people," he said, to widespread condemnation at the time. This first campaign outing was also when Mr Trump brought up his plan to build a wall on the
US southern border. Mr McCain swiftly denounced the businessman's attacks on immigrants, accusing him of "firing up the crazies" with his views.2. Trump said McCain was not a war hero because he was captured & tortured.
While the senator may have been the first to fire, Mr Trump was swift to respond. Less than a month after his Mexican immigrants speech, the reality TV star said at a campaign event in Iowa that Mr McCain was not a war hero.
"He's a war hero because he was captured," he said. "I like people that weren't captured." Mr McCain was held and repeatedly tortured for five-and-a-half years after his plane was shot down in the Vietnam war.
3. McCain was infuriated when Trump bragged about having sex with different women because he is a celebrity.
Once Mr Trump had blown away his challengers for the nomination, Mr McCain came behind the Republican Party's choice. But just before the 2016 election, a video recording surfaced of Mr Trump making graphic and obscene remarks about women
.
In the video, Mr Trump said "you can do anything" to women "when you're a star" and bragged
about trying to grope and kiss women.
4. McCain refused to vote for Trump's healthcare reform.
A key campaign pledge for the New York billionaire in 2016 had been to repeal President Obama's landmark healthcare legislation, the Affordable Care Act - known as Obamacare.
Republicans set up numerous efforts to repeal the law, and almost succeeded, needing 50 votes in the 100-seat Senate chamber they control 52-48.
But in a now famous move, as he battled the brain cancer that would take his life, Mr McCain voted no and scuppered the party's bid to undo the act. President Trump had condemned Republicans who did not back the new legislation, saying: "They don't have the guts to vote for it."
5. McCain kicked against Trump extension of Friendship to dictators such as Vladimir Putin & Kim Jong-un
Mr McCain was a prominent Republican on foreign affairs, rising to become chair of the influential Senate Armed Services Committee. He advocated a strong American presence
abroad - so it was no surprise that he chafed at Mr Trump's frequent praise of Russian president Vladimir Putin. When Mr Putin was re-elected in March, Mr McCain issued a statement strongly criticising the president for congratulating the former spy.
"An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections," he said. He was even more vocal when Mr Trump met Mr Putin in Helsinki this year and said he believed Mr Putin's assessment that Russia did not interfere in his election in 2016 - contradicting US intelligence services.
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Emeka Falake
rip to the great man
