US President Donald Trump has paid tribute to his “wonderful” younger brother Robert, who passed away on Saturday, August 15, at the age of 71. The 74-year-old had flown to New York just one day earlier to visit his brother in hospital.
“It is with heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight,” Trump said in the statement. “He was not just my brother, he was my best friend. He will be greatly missed, but we will meet again. His memory will live on in my heart forever. Robert, I love you. Rest in peace.”
Robert was also remembered as an “incredible man” by his nephew Eric Trump, who posted on Twitter: “Robert Trump was an incredible man – strong, kind and loyal to the core. Anyone who encountered him felt his warmth immediately. He will be deeply missed by our entire family.” While his sister Ivanka wrote: “Uncle Robert, we love you. You are in our hearts and prayers, always.”
And while the Trump family have remembered Robert online, some of Trump’s political rivals have also set their political differences aside and offered their condolences to the president in his time of grief.
Despite being just months out from the US election, Trump’s rival for the presidency Joe Biden extended an olive branch to Trump, saying he “knows the tremendous pain” of losing a loved one.
“Mr. President, Jill and I are sad to learn of your younger brother Robert’s passing,” Biden, 77, wrote on Twitter. “I know the tremendous pain of losing a loved one — and I know how important family is in moments like these. I hope you know that our prayers are with you all.”
Biden’s first wife Neilia and their daughter Naomi tragically died in a car accident in 1972, while his son Beau died of a brain tumour in 2015, aged just 46.
Many people commended Biden on his apolitical response to the news of Robert’s passing. One person wrote: “Soon-to-be Mr President Biden, You’re a better man than I am. When I read of the younger trump’s passing, my first reaction was that I hadn’t been specific in my prayers. Your honorable post is admirable.”
Another said: “Thank you for your compassion. You are setting a wonderful example for the rest of the country. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we need a leader who values human decency and empathy. I strongly disagree with Trump but I am sorry that he lost his brother.”
However others suggested it was simply a tactic, and praised his team for putting together the tweet on his behalf. One Twitter user wrote: “Your team done a great job scripting this tweet for you Joe.”
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