US President Donald Trump announced the death of his younger brother Robert on Saturday, at the age of 72, after he was admitted to a New York hospital for treatment of an undisclosed disease, expressing his grief for his loss.
"With a heavy heart, I announce that my wonderful brother Robert passed away quietly this night," Trump said in a statement. "He was not only my brother, but he was also my best friend."
"We will miss him a lot, but we will meet again. His memory will remain alive in my heart forever," Trump said, stressing, "I love you Robert. May you rest in peace."
The president stopped by Friday in New York to visit his younger brother in a city hospital. After spending about 45 minutes in the hospital, Trump went out to tell reporters that his younger brother was "having a hard time".
Trump was on his way to his golf club nearby in Bedminster, New Jersey, for the weekend.
And the media reported that Robert Trump was seriously ill, but they did not disclose the nature of his illness.
Robert Trump, born in 1948, is definitely less famous than his brother. He was a key partner in the family´s real estate empire and a fierce defender of his main brother.
He went to court to try to prevent the publication of a book by Mary Trump, daughter of third brother Fred Trump, Jr., but was unsuccessful.
In her book, "Too Much and Never Enough: How did my family make the most dangerous man in the world?"
The White House described these notes as a "book of lies."
