Meghan McCain broke down during the Wednesday, December 13, episode of The View while opening up about her father John McCain‘s brain cancer diagnosis to Joe Biden, whose son passed away two years prior of the same glioblastoma.
“This is the hard part, bear with me, I couldn’t get through your book, I tried. Your son Beau had the same cancer that my father was diagnosed with six months ago,” a visibly emotional Meghan, who joined The View in October, began, referring to Biden’s memoir Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship and Purpose. “I think about Beau almost every day and I was told — I’m sorry — that this doesn’t get easier, but that you cultivate the tools to work with this and live with this. I know you and your family have been through a tragedy that I couldn’t conceive of.”
![Joe Biden and Meghan McCain on The View](/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/joe-biden-meghan-mccain.jpg?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all)
“It’s not about me, it’s about everyone with cancer,” Meghan said as Biden got up to take a seat next to her.
“It is about everyone, but look. One of the things that gave Beau courage — my word — was John,” Biden said, referring to Meghan’s father. “Your dad, you may remember when you were a little kid, your dad took care of my Beau. Your dad … became friends with Beau. And Beau talked about your dad’s courage, not about illness, about his courage.”
![Megan McCain John McCain attend White House Correspondents' Association Dinner](/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/john-mccain-meghan-mccain.jpg?w=1000&quality=82&strip=all)
The former vice president then spoke to the audience about different glioblastoma research developments, and added, “There is hope. And if anybody can make it, your dad — her dad is one of my best friends.”
“Her dad goes after me hammer and tongs,” Biden continued with a smile, opening up about his friendship with the senator. “We were like two brothers who somehow were raised by different fathers or something because of our points of view. But I know, and I mean this sincerely, her dad got mad at me, he told me I should get the hell off the ticket. And you remember what I said? And I mean this sincerely, I know that if I picked up the phone tonight and called John McCain and said ‘John, I’m at Second and Vine in Oshkosh and I need your help. Come.’ He would and I would for him too.”
As previously reported, Beau lost his battle with brain cancer at 46 years old in May 2015. President Obama delivered an emotional eulogy at his funeral in Delaware in June 2015.
John opened up about his cancer diagnosis and “very poor prognosis” during an interview with 60 Minutes in September.
“As you know, doctors are interesting,” he said at the time. “Some say 3 percent, some say 14 percent. You know it’s — it’s a very poor prognosis. So I just said, ‘I understand. Now we’re going to do what we can, get the best doctors we can find and do the best we can, and at the same time celebrate with gratitude a life well lived.’”