The longest-serving Republican senator in history who was a fixture in Utah politics for more than four decades, Orrin Hatch died yesterday at 88-years-old.
The 45th President Donald Trump, who he was a significant ally for in the Senate, offered his “deepest condolences” to Hatch’s family.
In a statement, Trump said, “I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family of the great Senator Orrin Hatch, his wife Elaine, and his six children.”
“Orrin was a true warrior for our Country, for liberty, and for his beloved state of Utah. He was as wise as he was kind, and as tough as he was smart,” Trump declared.
Trump stressed, “He loved America and his contributions to our Country were tremendous. His legacy will surely live on through the many lives he impacted. May God bless Orrin Hatch.”
he loved America and his contributions to our Country were tremendous. His legacy will surely live on through the many lives he impacted. May God bless Orrin Hatch.” – President Donald J. Trump
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) April 24, 2022
During his final years in the Senate, Hatch used his role as chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee to get a major rewrite of the U.S. tax codes to Trump’s desk.
Trump, in return, helped Hatch deliver on a key issue for Republicans in Utah with a move to drastically downsize two national monuments that had been declared by past presidents, most notably under Barack Obama.
The Associated Press noted that Hatch also championed GOP issues like abortion limits and helped shape the U.S. Supreme Court, including defending Justice Clarence Thomas against sexual harassment allegations during confirmation hearings.
Hatch was also among seven individuals awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018 by Trump.
Donald Trump Jr. also weighed in on Hatch’s passing in a two-part tweet with similar praise and a personal story.
“Sorry to hear of the passing of my friend Senator Orrin Hatch. A man of great integrity who got what was going on in 2016 and became an unlikely ally & mentor, bringing some much needed perspective to a political neophyte like me,” Trump Jr. said in the first part where he also shared a picture of the two together.
Trump Jr. then added, “More importantly, I’ll never forget him as the one GOP senator who voluntarily showed up and sat through my Russia Russia Russia inquisition simply as a show of support for what he too new to be nonsense. Thank you again sir! R.I.P.”
More importantly, I’ll never forget him as the one GOP senator who voluntarily showed up and sat through my Russia Russia Russia inquisition simply as a show of support for what he too new to be nonsense. Thank you again sir! R.I.P.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 24, 2022
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