John McCain Not Including President Trump in Funeral Plans

John McCain is reportedly planning for his funeral, and the invite list left off one major figure [...]

John McCain is reportedly planning for his funeral, and the invite list left off one major figure in U.S. politics — President Trump. But the Senator does have one guest he definitely wants in attendance.

McCain's funeral plans include an invitation for Vice President Mike Pence, but according to a report by TMZ, President Donald Trump will not be invited. Sources close to the senator from Arizona say that they were instructed to tell the White House that McCain wants Pence to attend the service. However, given his contentious history with Trump, he decided the president shouldn't be there.

McCain was diagnosed with brain cancer last July. He has been undergoing the taxing treatment, and has continued to fulfill his duties as a senator all the while. McCain has made a few visits to Washington D.C. when possible, and has communicated with his staff the rest of the time.

The senator also has a memoir coming out in the near future, titled The Restless Wave. He has announced that it will be his last published work.

Recently, McCain has been hosting colleagues and friends at his home in Phoenix, Arizona, according to a report by The New York Times. The visits have not been explicit goodbyes, but they have been meetings of closure for the politicians and the people with whom he built his legacy.

"Here John knows he's in a very, very, very precarious situation, and yet he's still concerned about the state of the country," said former Vice President Joe Biden after meeting with him. "We talked about how our international reputation is being damaged and we talked about the need for people to stand up and speak out."

Biden said that McCain told him "not to walk away" from politics, though he declined to discuss the possibility of a presidential run in 2020.

People close to McCain told the outlet that he is not fond of "overt sentimentality," but he has accepted visits from people who want to close the book on unfinished business or just express their love for the 81-year-old.

McCain's failing health is of grim political interest for those in Washington. If he passes away or resigns before the end of May, the Republican party could lose their single-seat majority in the Senate. In that case there would likely be a special election in the fall. On the other hand, if McCain remains in office until June, there will be no election for his seat until 2020.

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