John McCain to speak at ASU Feb. 19

U.S. Sen. John McCain will share his thoughts on politics, security and the media as part of an interview series at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and Thunderbird School of Global Management.

The Arizona Republican, who was the GOP’s nominee for president in 2008, was first elected to the Senate in 1986 and serves as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He is taking part in the “Iconic Voices” public interview series Friday, Feb. 19, from 2-3 p.m. at the Cronkite School’s downtown Phoenix campus.

Moderated by Professor of Practice Jeff Cunningham, the discussion will explore McCain’s views on the 2016 election, global security, the state of the Arizona economy and his career from Vietnam to the U.S. Senate.

“I am looking forward to Senator McCain’s informed perspective on a wide variety of critical issues facing our country today,” said Cunningham, the former publisher of Forbes magazine.

McCain was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 and was the Republican Party’s nominee for president in 2008. He currently serves as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and sits on the Senate’s committees on Foreign Relations, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Indian Affairs. He was first elected to Congress in 1982 from Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.

McCain graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958 and was a naval aviator for more than 20 years. In Vietnam, his plane was shot down over Hanoi in 1967, and he was held as a prisoner of war until 1973. His military honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

The “Iconic Voices” lecture and YouTube series, created by Cunningham for both Cronkite and Thunderbird students and alumni, features candid interviews with business notables and newsmakers. Cunningham’s interviews have included Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett and Freeport-McMoran CEO Richard Adkerson. The 2016 lineup includes Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of General Electric, and Barbara Barrett, former U.S. ambassador to Finland.

The McCain talk is open to the public. It will be held in the Cronkite Theater (room 202) on the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus at 555 N. Central Ave. No RSVP is required; however, seating is limited. Overflow seating will be available in the Cronkite School’s First Amendment Forum, where the discussion will be live-streamed.