Joe Biden sent a message of condolences to Donald Trump and his family after the death of the president’s brother this weekend, saying he knows well the pain of losing a loved one and was sending prayers.
Robert Trump, the younger brother of the president, died on Saturday after being hospitalized. Donald Trump made a trip to New York to visit his brother the day before his death, when reports indicated that the younger sibling was in serious condition with an undisclosed ailment.
After Robert Trump’s passing, Biden took to Twitter to offer his condolences.
“Mr. President, Jill and I are sad to learn of your younger brother Robert’s passing,” the presumptive Democratic candidate wrote. “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.”
The message represented something of a pause in what has at times been a contentious campaign between the two. Biden has repeatedly pressed the president for his handling of the coronavirus and his handling of nationwide protests calling for efforts to address racial inequality.
In July, Biden said that Trump is the nation’s first racist president, a claim that earned controversy both among those who saw the statement as untrue and others who pointed out what they saw as racist policies of past presidents .
As he indicated in his message, the Democratic candidate has lost several close members of his family during his life. In 1972, shortly after being elected to the U.S. Senate for the first time, Biden’s wife and infant daughter were killed in a car crash that also left his two sons injured.
In May 2015, his son, Beau, died after a battle with brain cancer, with the grief reportedly playing a role in Joe Biden’s decision not to run for president in 2016.
As Today noted, Biden’s running mate also joined in sending condolences to the Trumps after their loss. California Sen. Kamala Harris, tapped this week by Biden for the vice president role on the Democratic Party’s ticket, also took to Twitter to send wishes on behalf of herself and her husband.
“Doug and I join the Biden family in sending our deepest condolences and prayers to the entire Trump family during this difficult time,” she wrote. “Losing a loved one is never easy but know that we are thinking of you.”
