Former President Barack Obama ran against John McCain in 2008, but as he spoke at McCain’s funeral today he said, “for all our differences, for all of the times we sparred, I never tried to hide, and I think John came to understand the long-standing admiration that I had for him.” Obama also spoke about receiving the call from McCain personally asking him to speak at his funeral:

“For someone like John to ask you while he is still alive to stand and speak of him when he is gone is a precious and singular honor. Now, when John called me with that request earlier this year, I’ll admit sadness and also a certain surprise.” 

Obama also said McCain was honest and believed in a free press. One can’t help but think this point was made to show how different he was than Donald Trump.

“John believed in honest argument and hearing our views. He understood that if we get in the habit of bending the truth to suit political expediency or party orthodoxy, our democracy will not work. That’s why he was willing to buck his own party at times, occasionally work across the aisle on campaign finance reform and immigration reform. That’s why he championed a free and independent press as vital to our democratic debate.” 

This next quote also seemed to be directed at Trump:

“Trafficking in bombastic manufactured outrage, it’s politics that pretends to be brave and tough, but in fact is born of fear. John called on us to be bigger than that. He called on us to be better than that.”

Watch Obama’s full eulogy above.