Washington (CNN) Republican Sen. John McCain, who is battling brain cancer in his home state of Arizona, says in his new book that his current term is his last and, as a result, he feels he can open up about how he sees the current political climate. If I hadn't admitted that to myself before this summer, a stage 4 cancer diagnosis acts as ungentle persuasion," he wrote in his book, "The Restless Wave," according to the excerpt published on Apple News on Monday . Referring to President Donald Trump, McCain wrote, "He has declined to distinguish the actions of our government from the crimes of despotic ones. The appearance of toughness, or a reality show facsimile of toughness, seems to matter more than any of our values." Even in times of political turmoil such as these, we share that awesome heritage and the responsibility to embrace it."

Source: CNN April 30, 2018 18:14 UTC