Sen. John McCain is feeling the heat from some Republican voters angry that he pulled his support from presidential candidate Donald Trump.

PHOENIX — In his pursuit of a sixth term, Republican Sen. John McCain stood by Donald Trump for months despite personal insults and the bombastic businessman’s string of controversial claims.

That tepid support ended earlier this month after the release of a 2005 recording in which Trump used crude, predatory language to boast about groping women. The Arizona lawmaker said the GOP presidential nominee’s behavior and “demeaning comments about women and his boasts about sexual assaults” made it impossible to offer support.

Some Republicans are clearly angry. Conservatives routinely boo McCain when Trump mentions his name at rallies in Arizona, and some are unwilling to back his candidacy over his disavowal of the nominee.

The 80-year-old senator still has a solid advantage in polls over Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, even as conservative Arizona grows more competitive in the presidential race. Democrat Hillary Clinton is investing money in the state and dispatching big-name surrogates, like first lady Michelle Obama and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

McCain has displayed confidence, leaving Arizona to campaign for other Republican Senate candidates in closer races in Pennsylvania and Indiana.

His campaign experience — five Senate races, two House races and two presidential bids — shows. Before groups, he’s folksy, cutting self-deprecating jokes or nearly politically incorrect quips to loosen the crowd. He gigs the Marine Corps (McCain was a naval aviator), tells a well-worn Irish joke (he says it’s the only ethnic barb he can tell without backlash) and often mentions his first campaign (“during the Coolidge administration,” he jests).

Then he swings through his top campaign topics, noting a list of things he’s done for Arizona before warning of the growing threats across the globe from Russia, China and the Middle East. He blames the man who vanquished him in 2008 — President Barack Obama — for many of the world’s problems.

The pragmatic senator who has worked with Democrats on immigration pledged this week that Republicans would unite against any pick from Clinton if she becomes president. An aide later clarified that he will examine the record of anyone nominated for the high court and vote for or against that person based on qualifications.