Mrs. Reagan released the following statement on her endorsement:
"Although it has been my custom to wait until after the Republican National Convention to announce my support of a candidate, it is clear that the Party has chosen its nominee. So it is with great pleasure that I endorse Senator John McCain for President of the United States.
"John McCain has been a good friend for over thirty years. My husband and I first came to know him as a returning Vietnam War POW, and were impressed by the courage he had shown through his terrible ordeal. I believe John's record and experience have prepared him well to be our next president."
John McCain thanked Mrs. Reagan for her support, saying, "Mrs. Nancy Reagan has earned our love and admiration for her grace and lifetime commitment to our nation's future. Alongside President Reagan in the White House, Nancy was a champion of hope and compassion. I will never forget the kindness that she and her husband shared with me upon my return from Vietnam. I was grateful for her support then, and am humbled by it today."