John McCain
John McCainReuters

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has decided to stop treatment for the brain cancer he has been battling for over a year, his family said Friday, according to CNN.

"Last summer, Senator John McCain shared with Americans the news our family already knew: he had been diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma, and the prognosis was serious. In the year since, John has surpassed expectations for his survival. But the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict. With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment," the McCain family said in a statement.

"Our family is immensely grateful for the support and kindness of all his caregivers over the last year, and for the continuing outpouring of concern and affection from John's many friends and associates, and the many thousands of people who are keeping him in their prayers. God bless and thank you all," added the statement.

Cindy McCain, the senator's wife, wrote in a tweet, "I love my husband with all of my heart. God bless everyone who has cared for my husband along this journey."

The senator's daughter, Meghan McCain, said in a tweet, "My family is deeply appreciative of all the love and generosity you have shown us during this past year. Thank you for all your continued support and prayers. We could not have made it this far without you - you've given us strength to carry on."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the news "very sad," while House Speaker Paul Ryan tweeted, "The whole House is keeping John and his family in our prayers during this time."

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted his "thoughts and prayers are with Senator McCain and his family."

McCain, who has not been in Washington since December, has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump regardless.

In July, he blasted Trump for his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, blasting the encounter as "one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory."

"The damage inflicted by President Trump's naiveté, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. But it is clear that the summit in Helsinki was a tragic mistake," he said in a statement.

Before the summit, McCain suggested that Trump should cancel his meeting with Putin if he is not prepared to hold Putin "accountable" for aggression toward the U.S.

While McCain backed Trump in the presidential election in 2016, he previously said he has serious concerns about Trump, backing former Republican nominee Mitt Romney in his criticism.

In a memoir released in May, McCain accuses the President of failing to uphold U.S. values by showering praise on international "tyrants," discrediting the media, ignoring human rights and demeaning refugees.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)