Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainThe electoral reality that the media ignores Kelly's lead widens to 10 points in Arizona Senate race: poll COVID response shows a way forward on private gun sale checks MORE (R-Ariz.) hinted that he might be serving his last term in office, admitting that he does not want to become “one of these old guys that should’ve shoved off.”

McCain, a 27-year veteran of the Senate and former presidential candidate, made the admission while speaking about his relationship with President Obama.

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“The president and I, he's in his last term, I'm probably in mine, the relationship we have had over the past three years is quite good,” McCain told The Wrap in an interview. “Quite good."

The 77-year-old's current term is up in 2016. When asked if this would really be his last term, McCain backtracked a bit.

“Nah, I don’t know,” McCain said. “I was trying to make a point. I have to decide in about two years so I don’t have to make a decision. I don’t want to be one of these old guys that should’ve shoved off.”

McCain made the initial remark about retirement off-the-cuff to a group of Obama supporters who interrupted the interview as he was arguing that television providers should unbundle their channels.

He initially backed Obama’s plan for limited military intervention in Syria, and he has been working on legislation to provide time for a diplomatic resolution.

Earlier this year, McCain also supported a compromise on universal background checks for gun buyers as part of a broader gun control package that failed in the Senate.

While arguing for immigration reform in the interview, McCain also made clear that his time in the chamber is waning.

“Now I’m not doing it for political reasons,” he said. “I’ll be long gone. ... But it’s got to be done because it’s the right thing for America.”

McCain is the ninth oldest member of the Senate. Sen. Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel FeinsteinSenators offer disaster tax relief bill Democrats back away from quick reversal of Trump tax cuts Congress must save the Postal Service from collapse — our economy depends on it MORE (D-Calif.), 80, became the oldest after Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s (D-N.J.) death earlier this year.

UPDATE: After this story was published, McCain said in a message on Twitter that he is focused on present challenges and will wait a few years before making a decision on running for reelection.

To clarify: I've long said I'll wait a few yrs before thinking about whether to seek reelection in 2016. Focused on our present challenges — John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) September 13, 2013



