washington end simple hand gesture senator john mccain point right index finger downward motion register vote ruin party seven-year effort repeal obamacare signal early hours friday 80-year-old mccain also deliver political gut-punch u.s. president donald trump fellow republican man clash repeatedly past two years mccain last week diagnose aggressive brain cancer drop hint tuesday legislative demand meet prepare take trump dispute replace part obamacare republican healthcare program president subordinate equal say emotional speech senate first since diagnose mccain relations trump frosty time election campaign appearance iowa 2015 trump respond criticism mccain denigrate senator military service include 1/2-years prisoner war north vietnam torture captivity see war hero many americans war hero trump tell gather religious conservatives war hero capture like people capture follow day trump say mccain work behalf military veterans talk action mccain lead republican voice defense security generally restrain criticism trump also time let loose include recent accusations trump weaken america stand world affairs kowtow russian president vladimir putin friday vote bring tally 51-49 republican bill repeal part former president barack obama affordable care act mccain become third senate republican bolt leave path passage measure arizona republican republican presidential candidate 2008 also add another important chapter maverick 30-year senate career stun fellow legislators leave senate majority leader mitch mcconnell bad defeat long political career notably mccain deny trump could first major legislative victory administration demonstrate businessman-turned-president washington work different ways company ceos free hand dictate outcomes although trump minimally involve process craft legislation make plain priority senate fail push bill draw republican leadership past weeks trump tell republicans get back work try publicly urge get job do despite mccain tensions white house vice president mike pence assign task try convince vote so-called skinny bill aim pare away part obamacare become apparent trump cheerlead tweet thursday night work go republican senators go get wait years give america great healthcare pence spend 21 minutes accord reporters watch inside senate chamber talk mccain senate floor mccain budge even take short phone call president senate vote tally announce senate mccain embrace senators side aisle democrats delight help kill obamacare repeal effort republicans want show respect man mcconnell speak bitterly defeat imagine many colleagues side celebrate probably pretty happy this senate democratic leader chuck schumer call bipartisan work fix obamacare shortcomings say would suggest turn page ... celebrate relieve three days ago trump praise mccain brave american hero come back washington arizona recuperate surgery take part healthcare legislative effort president deject republicans 48 democrats let american people say begin let obamacare implode deal watch trump tweet follow defeat friday mccain advise much different approach immediate collaborative effort democrats healthcare mccain also hop shepherd major defense bill senate political legislative tussle could interrupt press need treat cancer mccain belittle trump hand big defeat healthcare vote