Republican nominee Donald Trump recently sent shock-waves through the press by stating during Wednesday night’s debate that he would keep the nation “in suspense” regarding his acceptance of a possible Clinton victory. Senator John McCain spoke out against Trump’s position Thursday, saying that graceful acceptance of defeat is “the American way.”

“In every previous election, the loser congratulates the winner and calls them ‘my president,’ McCain pointed out, according to NBC News Correspondent Hallie Jackson.

“That’s not just the Republican way or the Democratic way,” McCain was quoted as saying. “It’s the American way. This election must not be any different.”

The Arizona senator added that, while he didn’t like the outcome of the 2008 election in which he lost to Senator Barack Obama, he never accepted his “duty to concede, and..did so without reluctance.”

“A concession isn’t just an exercise in graciousness,” McCain said. “It is an act of respect for the will of the American people, a respect that is every American leader’s first responsibility.”