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John McCain "holds nothing back" in upcoming memoir

McCain slams Trump for Putin call
Sen. McCain slams Trump for congratulatory call with Putin 01:17

Sen. John McCain "holds nothing back" in his new memoir that will be released in May, his publisher says. The 81-year-old Arizona Republican long been one of the most vocal GOP critics of President Trump.

McCain's new book, "The Restless Wave," will cover 2008 to the present, and be his "most personal book in years," according to publisher Simon & Schuster. McCain revealed in 2017 that he has a brain tumor, and since then has spent some time in Arizona receiving treatment. The memoir, which he co-authored with frequent collaborator Mark Salter, will be released in May.

"In a time when Washington, D.C., and the country is more polarized than it has been for decades, John McCain is the rare public figure who has earned the respect of people on both sides of the aisle," Simon & Schuster said. "He is a model for bipartisanship and political integrity. In his forty years in politics McCain has never been afraid to buck trends or ruffle a few feathers. His words are more important today than ever."

Earlier this month, McCain was the first Republican to publicly criticize Mr. Trump for congratulating Russian President Vladimir Putin for his election win, blasting out a statement shortly after Mr. Trump told reporters about the Putin phone call. 

"An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections," McCain said at the time. "And by doing so with Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election to determine their country's future, including the countless Russian patriots who have risked so much to protest and resist Putin's regime."

Last year, McCain became a thorn in Mr. Trump's side when he voted down a GOP-backed Obamacare repeal, effectively blocking its passage. Mr. Trump railed against McCain over that vote, calling it a "tremendous slap in the face" to his own party.

McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain, has said she is hopeful her father will return to Washington, D.C. by this summer. 

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