Donald Trump has been criticised for praising Kanye West at his latest rally, while failing to acknowledge gravely ill senator John McCain.

The US president mentioned the rapper and his reality TV star wife Kim Kardashian at a fundraising dinner for the Ohio Republican Party in Columbus on Friday evening.

However, he refrained from sending a message to Senator John McCain, 81, whose family had earlier announced that he would no longer continue medical treatment for a stage-four brain tumour.

The White House has also remained silent on the news.

Referring to his poll figures, Mr Trump said during his speech: "All of a sudden those numbers started going up, up, up, and we did great.


"Now we're doing great and Kanye West liked me. And that really lifted my [numbers].

Image: Kanye West has said he and the president 'are both dragon energy'

"Kanye West has some real power! And he's got a good wife too in Kim, I'll tell ya.

"She really is. She did a great thing, a great thing," he continued, referencing how he pardoned Alice Marie Johnson after a months-long campaign by Kardashian.

"That was through Kim Kardashian, I think it was terrific," he added.

In a statement released on Twitter, the McCain family said the senior Republican had made the decision to stop his treatment.

Image: John McCain revealed he had brain cancer last year

He was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer with a median survival rate of just 15 months, in July 2017.

Mr McCain - who has served Arizona in Congress since 1982 - discovered his diagnosis after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot in his eye.

Following Mr Trump's speech, actor Rob Reiner tweeted: "Nothing but respect for John McCain. A dedicated life of service to his country. Donald Trump would do well to take even a sentence from a page of John McCain's book."

Nothing but respect for John McCain. A dedicated life of service to his country. Donald Trump would do well to take even a sentence from a page of John McCain’s book. — Rob Reiner (@robreiner) August 24, 2018

President Trump gave shout outs to Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, and sent his “warmest regards” to Kim Jong Un, but hours after a national bipartisan outpouring of support: not a word about Senator John McCain. — Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) August 25, 2018

The fact that Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have tweeted well wishes to John McCain and his family but Donald Trump still hasn’t said a word tells you all you need to know about our president. — Andrew Weinstein (@Weinsteinlaw) August 24, 2018

Democrat lawyer Andrew Weinstein added: "The fact that Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have tweeted well wishes to John McCain and his family but Donald Trump still hasn't said a word tells you all you need to know about our president."

Mr Trump and Mr McCain have had a strained relationship dating back to 2015.

The president claimed Mr McCain was not a war hero because he was captured and tortured in Vietnam.

Kanye's silence when asked if Trump cares for blacks

"I like people who weren't captured," he said in July 2015.

Mr Trump has also frequently criticised Mr McCain for voting against a 2017 plan in the Senate to replace Obamacare.

Mr McCain has also been a vocal with his opinions on the US leader, calling his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July a "tragic mistake".