Behind Trump’s decision to finally praise John McCain

President Donald Trump offered brief plaudits for the recently passed Sen. John McCain in a statement on Monday after responding only with silence to questions about the Vietnam War veteran. Full credit: Chip Somodevilla/Saul Loeb/Getty Images WASHINGTON -- Fed up with television coverage of Sen. John McCain's death and eager to continue promoting his agenda, President Donald Trump remained silent for most of Monday about the Vietnam War veteran being honored by the rest of Washington.

White House drafted a statement on John McCain, but never released it

White House aides drafted a fulsome statement for President Donald Trump on the death of Sen. John McCain, but it was never sent out, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN. Several staff members believed the official White House statement, which went through an internal approval process, would be released at the time of the Arizona Republican's death, which occurred on Saturday.

In Arizona, replacing McCain a political balancing act

The governor of Arizona, Republican Doug Ducey, says he won't be naming a replacement for the late Sen. John McCain until after the senator's burial next Sunday. Ducey's decision requires a political balancing act considering the demands of many Arizona conservatives who had soured on McCain over the years and Republicans who favored McCain's more moderate, independent approach.

Sen. McCain will be honored this week for five days in three cities

Following the death of Sen. John McCain on Saturday, politicians and supporters across the country were left remembering the legacy of a strong political figure who withstood a Washington career that spanned four decades, two failed presidential bids and a life-changing military career that included being held captive as a prisoner of war for more than five years. After being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer last year, he began planning his own funeral, which many expected to be as grand and prominent as his life.

How Arizona will fill John McCain’s seat — and who might fill it

As the nation mourns the death of John McCain , Arizona's Republican governor must soon decide who will replace him in the Senate. Under Arizona law, it's up to Gov. Doug Ducey to fill Senate vacancies until a special election is held in 2020.

Six memorable moments when John McCain earned a reputation as a ‘maverick’

John McCain, who died Saturday at 81 , will be remembered as many things father, former prisoner of war, U.S. senator, presidential nominee but perhaps his most enduring legacy is captured in a single word: maverick. But how did the Arizona Republican earn the label that has come to define his rise in national politics? We've rounded up some of his most memorable moments in which he showed he was not afraid to stand up for what he believed in.

For McCain, a cross-country farewell from public, presidents

Two former presidents are expected to speak at Sen. John McCain's service and he will lie in state in both the nation's capital and Arizona as part of a cross-country funeral procession ending with his burial at the U.S. Naval Academy, according to plans taking shape Sunday. McCain had long feuded with President Donald Trump, and two White House officials said McCain's family had asked, before the senator's death, that Trump not attend the funeral services.

John McCain memorial service on Saturday, burial Sunday

Late senator John McCain will lie in state at the US Capitol in Washington on Friday, followed by a memorial service at the National Cathedral before being laid to rest at the US Naval Academy in nearby Annapolis on September 2, his office said. Ahead of the national ceremonies, McCain will lie in state at the Arizona State Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday and a memorial service will take place at the North Phoenix Baptist Church.

Former President George W. Bush ‘honored’ to eulogize John McCain

Former President George W. Bush has accepted an invitation to deliver a eulogy at the funeral of Sen. John McCain at the National Cathedral and is "honored to have been asked to speak," Bush spokesman Freddy Ford confirmed to ABC News on Sunday. Former first lady Laura Bush will also be in attendance.

John McCain remembered as a friend of Canada,a advocate for expanded NAFTA

Mulroney says in a statement that the Arizona senator, who died of brain cancer on Saturday, "would always come down on the side of his friendship with us." As recently as June, McCain tweeted his support for Canada after U.S. President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weak and dishonest.

The Latest: McCain to lie in state at Arizona Capitol on Wed

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey says Sen. John McCain will lie in state at the Arizona Capitol on Wednesday, which is his birthday. The six-term Arizona senator and decorated Vietnam War veteran died Saturday of brain cancer at his ranch near Sedona, Arizona, at age 81. Republican and Democratic leaders did not give a date for the event, saying Sunday that more details would be released later.