Sen. John McCain announced in July that he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain cancer. | John Shinkle/POLITICO McCain's office says he has returned to Arizona

The office of Arizona Sen. John McCain said Sunday the Republican senator is returning to Arizona for "physical therapy and rehabilitation."

McCain has been undergoing treatment for brain cancer.


“Senator McCain has returned to Arizona and will undergo physical therapy and rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic," the statement said. "He is grateful for the excellent care he continues to receive, and appreciates the outpouring of support from people all over the country. He looks forward to returning to Washington in January.”

His doctors said the senator is "responding positively" to ongoing treatment.

"Senator McCain has responded well to treatment he received at Walter Reed Medical Center for a viral infection and continues to improve," said Dr. Mark Gilbert, chief of Neuro-Oncology at the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute. "An evaluation of his underlying cancer shows he is responding positively to ongoing treatment."

Meghan McCain, the senator's daughter, tweeted Sunday: “My father is doing well and we are all looking forward to spending Christmas together in Arizona.”

Earlier Sunday, President Donald Trump said that McCain was returning to Arizona to recover. “I wish John well. They’ve headed back [to Arizona]," Trump told reporters. "But I understand he’ll come if we ever needed his vote, which hopefully we won’t."

McCain's statement did not indicate whether the senator, part of the GOP's slender majority, would return to Washington if his vote were needed.

Trump added that McCain is "going through very tough time, there’s no question about it." McCain announced in July that he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain cancer.

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The senior Arizona senator and Trump have traded barbs since the latter was a presidential candidate, but McCain announced that he would vote for the GOP's tax plan. Trump and congressional Republicans are hoping to finish up the legislation this week. The House is scheduled to vote on Tuesday with the Senate following shortly thereafter, though both McCain and Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) are battling health issues.

Vice President Mike Pence has delayed his trip to the Middle East in case he is needed to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate.

