Sen. John McCain's (R., Ariz.) interview on CNN ended on a poignant note Sunday, as he told Jake Tapper he hoped to be remembered by the American people as someone who served his country with honor.
McCain is battling an aggressive brain cancer called glioblastoma, which was discovered in July while the 80-year-old had surgery for a blood clot above his left eye.
"I hope this is not our last interview," Tapper said.
"A lot of people want it to be the last," McCain quipped.
The two men chuckled, before Tapper asked his last question of the interview: "How do you want the American people to remember you?"
"He served his country," McCain said. "And not always right, made a lot of mistakes. Made a lot of errors. But served his country, and I hope you could add honorably."
"I think that we can say honorably," Tapper said.
McCain, who comes from a family of Navy admirals, spent five years in a North Vietnamese prison camp after his plane was shot down in 1967. The torture he endured left him permanently unable to move his arms above his head, and he refused a repatriation offer during his imprisonment.
McCain has been met with a wave of support since his diagnosis went public.
Earlier in the program, McCain described the cancer as "very vicious" but added that he has good energy after his treatments and the prognosis was "pretty good."
"I’m facing a challenge, but I’ve faced other challenges, and I’m very confident about getting through this one as well," he said. "I’ve had no side effects, nothing except frankly an increased level of energy."
In addition to his 30-year career in the U.S. Senate and chairmanship of the Senate Armed Services Committee, he was the 2008 Republican nominee for president, losing to Barack Obama.