Since the 2008 election, late Sen. John McCain and former President Barack Obama's legacy has been intertwined.

Obama, along with former President George W. Bush, spoke on McCain's life as a politician and war hero in his final send-off, reports CBS News.

"He did understand that some principles transcend politics, that some values transcend party," Obama said about McCain.

During his nearly 40 years as a senator, McCain has been called a maverick for his political leanings. Obama acknowledged this and praised their friendship over the last decade. 

"Our disagreements didn't go away during these private conversations. Those were real and they were often deep. But we enjoyed the time we shared away from the bright lights, and we laughed with each other, and we learned from each other," Mr. Obama said. "We never doubted we were on the same team."

As CBS News points out, Obama mentioned 20th-century president  Teddy Roosevelt's "man in the arena" speech to discuss McCain's constant struggle to be the best version of himself. 

"So much of life, our public life, our public discourse, can seem small, and mean, and petty," Mr. Obama said in another veiled criticism of the Trump administration. "It's a politics that pretends to be brave and tough, but in fact is born in fear. John called on us to be bigger than that."

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former-President-Barack-ObamaSen. John McCain