John McCain in CNN "State of the Union" interviews during 2017

On Foreign Policy: Mistake to ban immigrants from Iraq; they're our allies

LINDSEY GRAHAM: [In the War on Terror] you need partners. The executive order [banning all travel from predominantly Muslim countries] was a huge misstep, because it included everybody. If it's perceived as declaring war on the faith, we're all going to lose.

MCCAIN: I was especially interested in our interpreters, who literally put their lives on the line to help us in the vital mission of translating between Iraqis and our members of the military. To lump Iraq and Iran in the same category, I think, was a terrible mistake, and I'm glad that Iraq is not going to be part of those countries that are listed.

On Health Care: Repeal & replace, but don't throw anyone off healthcare

MCCAIN: Arizona had premiums that went up by 150 percent. Every one of our counties got down to one provider. It's our job now to do what we promised the American people in the last election, and that is to repeal and replace. And the first priority is not to leave anyone without the opportunity to have health care. That has to be, I think, the underpinning of any reforms that we may make. I would like to give states that have experimented in a different way an opportunity to follow those experiments. What works in Arizona may not work in Massachusetts. So let's give the states the funds and let's let them do some experimentation as to what is best for those states. But there has to be an underlying principle, and that is, we're not going to throw anybody off of health care to not be able to have the opportunity to get it.

On Homeland Security: 3% increase in military is not enough; we need more

On Immigration: Municipalities cannot exempt themselves from immigration law

MCCAIN: When laws are passed, federal laws that apply to the United States of America, municipalities cannot exempt themselves. If we had a system of government that we pass certain laws and towns and cities sprinkled across the country decided, well, we're not going to obey that law, then obviously that would be a breakdown of government. And so I would say that we ought to look at ways that would help convince these cities to observe federal law. And that may mean through how we use federal funds.

GRAHAM: Well, sanctuary cities is a symptom of a greater problem. The best thing we could do to honor your son is to fix a broken immigration system. For 10 years, along with Senator McCain, and I've been trying as hard as I know how to get it fixed rather than yelling about it.

On War & Peace: We're in an Afghan stalemate & a Russian EU destruction

MCCAIN: Yes. Well, I think he laid out a positive agenda. I would have liked to have heard about Afghanistan. We have 8,400 American troops in Afghanistan who are fighting in what has been described to me as a "stalemate." I would have liked to have heard a lot more about Russia. Russia is the country that tried to change the elections in the United States. I don't think they succeeded. Right now, they're affecting or trying to affect the elections in March. They've dismembered Ukraine. They've invaded Georgia. The list goes on and on. Vladimir Putin is hell-bent on the destruction of the European Union. So that I would have appreciated hearing about the president's views on these pressing national security issues.

On War & Peace: Putin is a thug; Russia understands only our strength

McCAIN: Vladimir Putin wants to restore the old Russian empire. He's invaded Georgia. He's invaded Ukraine. He is now attempting to affect the outcome of elections. He's putting enormous pressure on the Baltics. One of the greatest men I've ever known, Boris Nemtsov, was murdered in the shadow of the Kremlin. Let's know what Vladimir Putin is. He's a thug. He's a KGB agent and he's a killer, and treat him as such. And what does he understand? Strength. That's why we have to rebuild our military, and that's why, frankly, we are not doing enough to rebuild that military and its capability. So all I can say is: Peace through strength. And I think that that's one thing that Vladimir Putin would understand.

GRAHAM: If you let Putin get away with this, then we're opening ourselves up for endless attacks by foreign entities.

On Foreign Policy: Russian election tampering could destroy democracy

On Immigration: Exclude our interpreters in Iraq from Muslim travel ban

McCain said he was worried about "our interpreters, my friends, who literally put their lives on the line" in Iraq.

Graham said the initial travel ban was offensive to the 3,500 Muslims who serve in the US military.