Donald Trump's younger brother Robert dies at age 71 after 'suffering brain bleeds from a recent fall': President pays tribute to 'best friend' he visited in hospital a day before he passed away
- Robert Trump, 71, died in hospital Saturday after being visited by the president on Friday afternoon
- Donald Trump, 74, paid tribute to his brother, calling him his 'best friend' and saying: 'Robert, I love you'
- Robert had been admitted to hospital in New York City after reportedly suffering a fall
- He was described as 'very ill' and is believed to have had a brain bleed which left him unable to speak
- Robert was previously hospitalized in June for ten days at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City
- The youngest of the five Trump siblings, Robert was described as low-key, charming and loyal
- He did not come under the pressure that his elder siblings did from their father to join the family business
- Robert initially worked on Wall Street but later joined the Trump Organization, although never at the center
- Eric Trump has paid tribute to his uncle: 'an incredible man' who was 'strong, kind and loyal to the core'
Donald Trump's brother Robert, 71, has died just one day after the president visited him in hospital in New York.
The president said in a statement on Saturday night: 'It is with heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight.
'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, who reportedly took blood thinners, had suffered recent brain bleeds that began after a recent fall, according to a close friend of the family, who spoke to The New York Times.
Over the past few weeks, he had not been able to speak on the phone, according to the family friend.
Robert Trump, pictured with older brother Donald in 1999, was admitted to New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan in serious condition. The White House announced his death on Saturday
Trump arrived at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center on Friday afternoon to visit his ailing younger brother
Trump left Manhattan on Friday afternoon to fly to Bedminster, New Jersey, having said goodbye to his brother in hospital
From left to right: Robert, Elizabeth, Freddy, Donald and Maryanne Trump. Robert was the youngest of the five siblings
Rudy Giuliani, the president's lawyer, was among the first to pay tribute to Robert.
'Robert Trump has a big heart,' he tweeted. 'As a former Mayor I know how much he did to help New Yorkers in need.
'We have lost a really good man. My love, prayers and condolences to the #Trump family.' Eric Trump then tweeted fond memories of his uncle, describing him as 'an incredible man' who was 'strong, kind and loyal to the core.'
Robert Trump had no children, but he helped raise Christopher Hollister Trump-Retchin, the son of his first wife, Blaine Trump.
Besides the president, he is survived by his second wife, Ann Marie Pallan, and his sisters, Maryanne Trump Barry and Elizabeth Trump Grau.
His brother Fred Trump Jr. died in 1981.
Robert's death came one day after the president visited him in hospital in New York City, where he was said to be suffering from a serious condition.
Giuliani, the president's lawyer, was among the first to send his condolences to the family and said Robert 'had a big heart'
The youngest of Donald Trump's adult children, Eric, then tweeted a tribute to his uncle, saying he was 'an incredible man'
Trump had been scheduled to travel to his country club in nearby Bedminster, New Jersey for the weekend, but made a stop in Manhattan first to check in on his sibling.
The president was seen leaving the heliport after flying in from New Jersey.
Hospital security guards were seen blocking off access to a street outside the medical center ahead of the president's visit earlier this afternoon.
Trump was wearing a protective face mask as he arrived at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in Lennox Hill late Friday afternoon.
Robert had been admitted to the hospital and was described as 'very ill', however details of his illness are still not officially confirmed.
During a White House press briefing after his visit to his brother's bedside, the president said his brother was 'having a hard time' but did not elaborate on why he had been hospitalized.
Robert has openly voiced his support for his brother over years. He is pictured hugging Donald on Election Day 2016
Robert, the youngest of the five Trump siblings, was previously hospitalized for ten days at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York in June.
He was admitted to the neurosciences intensive care unit where he was treated for a 'serious condition', the Daily Beast reported.
Around the same time, Robert had filed a lawsuit against his niece Mary Trump, seeking to block her from publishing a tell-all book on the president.
Mary is the daughter of the brothers' eldest sibling, Fred Trump Jr, who struggled with alcoholism and died in 1981 at the age of 43.
Robert filed for an injunction claiming the explosive book, 'Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man', violated the terms of a confidentiality agreement she signed nearly two decades ago.
In a statement to The New York Times in June, he accused his niece of attempting to 'sensationalize and mischaracterize' their family relationship for her own financial gain.
Robert is pictured right with sister Maryanne and brother Donald in 1990
Robert is the youngest of the five Trump siblings born to Fred and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump. Pictured left to right: Donald, Fred Jr, Robert, Maryanne, and Elizabeth
'I and the rest of my entire family are so proud of my wonderful brother, the president, and feel that Mary's actions are truly a disgrace,' Robert said.
The explosive memoir was eventually released last month after a judge agreed to lift a temporary restraining order preventing Mary from publicizing or distributing her work.
The judge said the confidentiality clauses in the 2001 agreement, 'viewed in the context of the current Trump family circumstances in 2020, would offend public policy as a prior restraint on protected speech'.
The younger Trump had openly voiced his support for his brother over the years.
In an interview with Page Six ahead of the 2016 presidential election, Robert said he supported his brother's campaign '1,000 per cent'.'
He was later seen celebrating Donald's victory at the New York Hilton where the then president-elect delivered his acceptance speech.
Robert also spoke out in support of his brother during a brief, but rare interview at LAX airport last December, when Trump had been at the center of an impeachment trial.
When asked how his older sibling was doing, he told the cameraman: 'I think he's doing fantastic,' before getting into the his car.
Robert had also held a senior position in the family business, but unlike his brother, he has generally maintained a low public profile.
He previously served as an executive for Trump Organization where he managed the real estate portfolio outside of Manhattan.
In 2016 Robert told Page Six that he was 'gainfully retired'.
Robert was married to socialite Blaine Trump (pictured) for 25 years until their 2007 divorce. Until his death, he lived in Long Island with wife Ann Marie Pallan
Robert married his former secretary Ann Marie Pallan (center) in March. The two were rumored to be having an affair while he was married to first wife Blaine
He was married to socialite Blaine Trump for 25 years until their 2007 divorce, and until his death served on the board of directors of ZeniMax Media.
The couple's split was widely reported in the tabloids following reports that Robert had been living with his mistress - and now wife - for two years.
Prior to his death, he was based in Long Island where he lived with wife Ann Marie Pallan, his former secretary, who he reportedly married in March.
Despite their split, Robert was said to have remained on good terms with his ex-wife, who reportedly attended Trump's inauguration in 2017.
Robert also has two older sisters.
Elizabeth Trump Grau, 78, is a retired executive from Chase Manhattan Bank, and Maryanne Trump Barry, 83, is a retired federal judge.
Just like his older brother, Robert formerly served as an executive for the Trump Organization, but managed to keep a relatively low-profile. He is pictured above with ex-wife Blaine (in green), Donald, parents Mary and Fred, and sister Maryanne
Left to right: Blaine Trump, Robert Trump, Donald Trump and Ivana Trump are seen at the Pierre Hotel New York in 1987
Fred Trump with his son Robert, wife Mary Anne and Robert's wife Blaine at a gala in 1985
Blaine and Robert Trump at the Met Ball, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in 1983
Robert Trump and wife Blaine at Halloween AIDS fundraiser, hosted by Magic Johnson in 1993 at Tavern on the Green
As the youngest of the five Trump siblings, Robert was shielded from the pressures placed on the eldest, Fred Jr, and then Donald.
He was never groomed to take over the family real estate company, and was considered by those who knew him to be the inverse of the brash, self-promotional brother who eventually did.
After graduating from Boston University, he first went to work on Wall Street, instead of immediately joining the family business.
But he eventually went to work for his brother as a senior executive at the Trump Organization.
Robert Trump is pictured with his older brother Donald and then-girlfriend Melania Knauss
Trump put Robert in charge of the Atlantic City casino in 1989 - which sparked a huge row. The pair are pictured at a Casino Control Commission meeting in Atlantic City in March 1990
From left: Donald Trump; his father Fred Trump; Blaine Trump and her husband Robert Trump
'You could consider him the quietest of Trumps,' said Michael D'Antonio, a Trump biographer.
'He was glad to stay out of the spotlight.'
Jack O'Donnell, a former Trump Organization executive who worked closely with the Trump family, told the New York Times that Robert was someone with a natural ease and good humor that his older brother lacked.
'He was dignified, he was quiet, he listened, he was good to work with,' O'Donnell said.
'He had zero sense of entitlement. Robert was very comfortable being Donald Trump's brother and not being like him.'
The pair were not always close.
In 1990, a year after Trump had put Robert in charge of the opening of the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Trump furiously attacked Robert over problems with the slot machines.
People who knew him said Robert was devastated by the fight with Trump, and the rift between them took years to heal, the New York Times said.
He reconciled with his brother when Trump decided to run for president, according to a person close to the family.
The soft-spoken, easygoing brother who backed the president until the end: Robert Trump shunned the spotlight in later life until he threw his support behind Donald and protected the family when he sued niece Mary over tell-all book
President Donald's younger brother, Robert Trump, a businessman known for an even keel that seemed almost incompatible with the family name, died Saturday night at the age of 71.
The youngest of the Trump siblings had remained close to the 74-year-old president and, as recently as June, filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Trump family that unsuccessfully sought to stop publication of a tell-all book by the president's niece, Mary.
In a rare but brief interview in December, Robert said his brother had been doing 'fantastic', when asked how the president was holding up during his impeachment trial. He is seen above in December 2019
Robert Stewart Trump was born in 1948, the youngest of New York City real estate developer Fred Trump's five children.
The president, more than two years older than Robert, admittedly bullied his brother in their younger years, even as he praised his loyalty and laid-back demeanor.
'I think it must be hard to have me for a brother but he's never said anything about it and we're very close,' Donald Trump wrote in his 1987 bestseller 'The Art of the Deal.'
'Robert gets along with almost everyone,' he added, 'which is great for me since I sometimes have to be the bad guy.'
Both longtime businessmen, Robert and Donald had strikingly different personalities.
Donald Trump once described his younger brother as 'much quieter and easygoing than I am,' and 'the only guy in my life whom I ever call "honey."'
Robert began his career on Wall Street working in corporate finance but later joined the family business, managing real estate holdings as a top executive in the Trump Organization.
![Meet the Trumps: Donald, Fred Jr, Elizabeth, Maryanne and Robert, pictured from left to right in an old family photo. The president said in a statement on Saturday night, one day after visiting his brother in hospital in Manhattan: 'He [Robert] 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'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/08/16/05/31960560-8632025-Meet_the_Trumps_Donald_Fred_Jr_Elizabeth_Maryanne_and_Robert_pic-a-102_1597552547216.jpg)
Meet the Trumps: Donald, Fred Jr, Elizabeth, Maryanne and Robert, pictured from left to right in an old family photo. The president said in a statement on Saturday night, one day after visiting his brother in hospital in Manhattan: 'He [Robert] 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'
'When he worked in the Trump Organization, he was known as the nice Trump,' Gwenda Blair, a Trump family biographer said. 'Robert was the one people would try to get to intervene if there was a problem.'
In the 1980s, Donald Trump tapped Robert Trump to oversee an Atlantic City casino project, calling him the perfect fit for the job.
When it cannibalized his other casinos, though, 'he pointed the finger of blame at Robert,' said Blair, author of 'The Trumps: Three Generations that Built an Empire.'
'When the slot machines jammed the opening weekend at the Taj Mahal, he very specifically and furiously denounced Robert, and Robert walked out and never worked for his brother again,' Blair said.
People who knew him said Robert was devastated by the fight with his brother, and the rift between them took years to heal, the New York Times said.
He reconciled with his brother when Donald decided to run for president, according to a person close to the family.
Fred Trump and Robert Trump are pictured together in 1985 at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City
A Boston University graduate, Robert Trump later managed the Brooklyn portion of father Fred Trump's real estate empire, which was eventually sold.
Once a regular boldface name in Manhattan's social pages, Robert Trump had kept a lower profile in recent years. 'He was not a newsmaker,' Blair said.
He was married to socialite Blaine Trump for 25 years until their 2007 divorce and was active on Manhattan's Upper East Side charity circuit.
The couple's split was widely reported in the tabloids following reports that Robert had been living with his mistress - and now wife - for two years.
In early March of 2020, he married his longtime girlfriend, Ann Marie Pallan, and they lived together in Long Island.
Despite their split, Robert was said to have remained on good terms with his ex-wife, who reportedly attended Trump's inauguration in 2017.
In 2016 Robert told Page Six that he was 'gainfully retired'.
He avoided the limelight during his elder brother's presidency, having retired to the Hudson Valley. But he described himself as a big supporter of the White House run in a 2016 interview with the New York Post.
'I support Donald one thousand percent,' Robert Trump said.
He was later seen celebrating Donald's victory at the New York Hilton where the then president-elect delivered his acceptance speech.
Fashion Designer Diane von Furstenberg and businessman Robert Trump are pictured together in 1973 at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City
Joan Rivers and Robert Trump attend American Ballet Theater (ABT) 65th Anniversary Spring Gala at Metropolitan Opera House on May 23, 2005 in New York City
Robert also spoke out in support of his brother during a brief, but rare interview at LAX airport last December, when Trump had been at the center of an impeachment trial.
When asked how his older sibling was doing, he told the cameraman: 'I think he's doing fantastic', before getting into the his car.
Robert Trump had no children, but he helped raise Christopher Hollister Trump-Retchin, the son of his first wife.
The eldest Trump sibling and Mary's father, Fred Trump Jr., struggled with alcoholism and died in 1981 at the age of 43.
The president's surviving siblings include Elizabeth Trump Grau and Maryanne Trump Barry, a retired federal appeals judge.
Authors Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher described Robert Trump as soft spoken but cerebral in 'Trump Revealed: The Definitive Biography of the 45th President': 'He lacked Donald´s charismatic showmanship, and he was happy to leave the bravado to his brother, but he could show flashes of Trump temper.'
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