Some media organizations, partisan talking heads, and Democrats used the death of President Donald Trump’s brother, Robert Trump, to attack the president on Saturday night.
“It is with heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight,” Trump said in a 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.”
Some media organizations used Robert Trump’s death to attack the president or the Trump family in general.
The headline of The Washington Post’s obituary stated: “Robert Trump, younger brother of President Trump who filed lawsuit against niece, dies at 71.”
Online, Washington Examiner reporter Jerry Dunleavy highlighted the difference between the headline of The Washington Post’s obituary on former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the headline for Robert Trump’s obituary. The headline that they used for al-Baghdadi appeared to be much kinder than the headline that they used for the death of Robert Trump.
“Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State, dies at 48.”
— JERRY DUNLEAVY (@JerryDunleavy) August 16, 2020
Daily Caller social media manager Logan Hall noted that just this week, The Washington Post attacked Fox News host Tucker Carlson for apparently mispronouncing Kamala Harris’ name, even though presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden has pronounced it the same way.
The Washington Post’s headline stated: “Tucker Carlon’s mangling of Kamala Harris’s name was all about disrespect.”
washington post this week went after tucker carlson for mispronouncing kamala’s name
meanwhile…. pic.twitter.com/eC2SSUZVNy
— Logan Hall (@loganclarkhall) August 16, 2020
NewsBusters Managing Editor Curtis Houck highlighted an obituary penned by the Associated Press, writing, “This @AP obit[uary] of Robert Trump will go in newspapers and on websites for news outlets all over the world. Absolutely evil and sadistic.”
The AP’s lede paragraph stated that Robert Trump was “a businessman known for an even keel that seemed almost incompatible with the family name.”
This @AP obit of Robert Trump will go in newspapers and on websites for news outlets all over the world. Absolutely evil and sadistic. pic.twitter.com/ll2GamLpvE
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 16, 2020
Houck also highlighted tweets from far-left commentators Wajahat Ali and Mehdi Hasan.
Ali wrote: “Trump’s brother was in the hospital, dying, as Trump was on the golf course. What makes you think he cares about you America?”
Hasan wrote: “Amazing how many news outlets are just reporting straight that the president’s brother died in hospital tonight without telling us how he died or acknowledged that it’s off we’re not being told how the president’s brother died.”
CNN and MSNBC hosts that have had any of these two on need to be asked if this is the kind of acceptable behavior worthy of enlightening our discourse. @ChrisCuomo, @JakeTapper, @DonLemon, @JoyAnnReid, and @ChrisLHayes to name a few. pic.twitter.com/vsk9zjVwW6
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 16, 2020
Seattle-based conservative radio host Jason Rantz highlighted a tweet from Max Berger, a former staffer from Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) failed presidential campaign, that stated: “Look, I know it’s not ‘politically correct’ to say this, but it’s really sad Donald Trump’s brother died from the pandemic. COVID took the wrong Trump.”
This is the tweet @maxberger deleted. It exposed him as a dumpster fire person. He doesn’t want to be exposed as such, though it’s not really been a secret. https://t.co/JfHXXi2c9i pic.twitter.com/XnG2hwQSOM
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) August 16, 2020
“Wrong Trump” was quickly trending on Twitter as numerous leftists were allegedly tweeting that the “wrong Trump” had died (examples here, here, here, here, and here).
Other leftists used the death to attack Trump and speculated over the cause of death, suggesting that there might be a cover-up to prevent people from knowing what he died from.
Robert Trump will likely die in the next 24 to 48 hours. Donald Trump couldn't care less. How you'd like to have that for a brother?
— Tony Schwartz (@tonyschwartz) August 15, 2020
They just announced that #RobertTrump has died of Shame, apparently it’s rare but runs in the Trump Family
— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) August 16, 2020
What did Robert Trump die from?
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) August 16, 2020
Something tells me we’re not going to find out why Robert Trump died and something tells me we all know why.
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 16, 2020
Note that on the day his "best friend" and brother Robert died, @realDonaldTrump played golf and tweeted self-serving conspiratorial bullshit all day. Not even his brother's death gives this sociopath pause… #Trump
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) August 16, 2020
How many of you think #RobertTrump’s undisclosed illness was #COVID19?
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) August 16, 2020
Why has the cause of Robert Trump’s hospitalization and death not been mentioned?
— Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) August 16, 2020
This article has been updated to include additional information.