Trump gushes over late brother Robert for never being jealous of POTUS' big success: 'He was my biggest fan'
President Donald J Trump showered praise on his late brother Robert Trump on Monday, saying he was never "jealous" of the former's accomplishments. Trump revealed during an interview on “Fox & Friends" how his brother always stood by him and was never envious of him.
“He wasn’t a jealous person, he was a very smart guy,” the president said of his favorite brother, who died last week. “You know, he would be there and he’d be behind me and... if I had the Number-One show, if I had big success, no matter what I did, even if it’s real estate deals or anything else, he was right there and in many cases helped me very much.”
Trump praised his brother's loyalty which was steadfast even as the former waded into the dog-eat-dog world of politics. “When I became president, he was one of the most loyal people,” he said. “There was no jealousy. You know, a lot of times in families, I hate to say it, but there’s jealousy, especially among children... There was not an ounce of jealousy. He’d go around talking about how great this is for the country.”
“He was my biggest fan,” he added, saying that he would often hear how Robert was “so thrilled” what “was happening for the country” after his election. “He was so angry with China because of what happened where the plague came in and they shouldn't have allowed it to happen, they could've stopped it. He was so upset by that," Trump continued. "He couldn't — more than people would be upset. A lot of people have already forgotten, and you can't forget. But he was a fantastic guy." Trump was referring to the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus.
The president had disclosed his brother was in "bad shape" before deciding to go visit him at a Manhattan hospital on Friday, August 14. “It is with a heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight,” he later 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.”
There had been reports from the sources close to the family that Robert had been ill for a couple of months. When Trump was asked about his brother's health during a recent press conference, he remained tight-lipped about his condition. "I have a wonderful brother. We have a great relationship for a long time, from day one, such a long time ago. And he's in the hospital right now," he said at the time. "Hopefully he'll be alright, but he's — he's pretty — he's having a hard time."
Robert was the executive vice president of the Trump Organization and was instrumental in building the real-estate empire with his brother. He avoided the limelight during his elder sibling's presidency, having retired to the Hudson Valley, but was a big supporter of his brother's White House run and in a 2016 interview with the New York Post, said: “I support Donald one thousand percent."
The president’s surviving siblings include Elizabeth Trump Grau and Maryanne Trump Barry, a retired federal appeals judge.