Meghan McCain’s mom, Cindy McCain, is making a big life change for the sake of her health following her stroke last year.
“With a heavy heart, I am announcing my intention to step down as the Executive Director of the World Food Programme,” Cindy, 71, said in a statement shared by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday, February 26. “Serving this incredible organization has been the honor of a lifetime.”
Cindy added that she “truly hoped” she could finish out her term as executive director, but her “health has not recovered to a level that allows [her] to fully serve the enormous demands of this job.”
“This is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make,” she noted.
Cindy concluded that she will “remain WFP’s biggest champion and continue to be an unwavering voice for those struggling with hunger everywhere.”
The WFP provides emergency food relief and technical and development assistance to areas around the world that are struggling with hunger. Cindy began her role as executive director in 2023.
“I’ve seen firsthand WFP’s ability to save lives in the most dangerous, destitute and remote locations of the world, where people need us the most. Time and time again, I have seen the WFP team show up where no one else can, no matter the odds,” Cindy said in her statement.
She added, “Over the past three years, we have delivered life-saving and life-changing assistance for millions of the world’s most vulnerable people — and this unwavering commitment will be more important than ever in the years to come. To our donors, partners and our global WFP team: thank you for everything you have done and continue to do.”
Meghan, 41, reposted her mother’s statement via X and praised Cindy’s hard work with the organization.
“Incredibly proud of the very important work my mother @cindymccain has done at The World Food Programme the past three years, helping combat world hunger,” she wrote. “I know she will continue working hard to make the world a better place in her next chapter. We love you.”
Cindy’s announcement comes less than one year after she suffered a “mild stroke” while living in Italy for her work with the WFP in October 2025.
“I want to thank the medical staff in Italy for the excellent treatment I received,” Cindy shared in a statement at the time. “My recovery is progressing well thanks to their outstanding care. I look forward to continuing my recuperation at home in Arizona with my family.”
Cindy’s family includes her late husband, politician John McCain, who died in 2018, and their four kids — Meghan, John “Jack” McCain, James “Jimmy” McCain and Bridget McCain. John also shared three children — Douglas McCain, Andrew McCain and Sidney McCain — with ex-wife Carol Shepp.
Weeks after Cindy’s stroke, Meghan offered an update on her mother’s health during her “Citizen McCain” podcast.
“I didn’t talk about it on my social media because my brothers and my family and I were trying to, you know, figure out what was going on,” she said.
Meghan told listeners that Cindy had “flown back to Arizona” from Italy for her recovery, which was going “very well.”
“She is cognitively completely fine. Can talk just normal, like she always has. [She’s] texting, and I’ve talked to her many times and to my family,” Meghan continued. “But she has some physical things that have happened as a result of the stroke. All things considered, it is mild, as the doctor said, and not intense, but still scary nonetheless. But she is OK. Thank you all for asking.”
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