Trump offers clumsy condolences to Aretha Franklin's family: 'She worked for me on numerous occasions'


Aretha Franklin's death on Thursday inspired a flood of heartfelt sentiments, from fellow musicians remembering her influence to fans reveling in her legacy. Politicians piped in as well, with a wide range of reactions.
President Trump tweeted that Franklin was a "great woman with a wonderful gift from God," but his extemporaneous words later in the day were slightly less focused on her talents. "I want to begin today by expressing my condolences to the family of a person I knew well," Trump said. "She worked for me on numerous occasions. She was terrific — Aretha Franklin — on her passing." He additionally said her legacy would "thrive and inspire many generations to come" and noted that "people loved Aretha."
Meanwhile, former president and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama issued a statement hoping the "Queen of Soul" may "rest in eternal peace" and recalling Franklin's "unmatched" musicianship. "Every time she sang, we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine," they wrote.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tweeted that Franklin deserves "our lasting gratitude for opening our eyes, ears, and hearts," while former President Bill Clinton joined his wife in a statement that called Franklin "elegant, graceful, and utterly uncompromising in her artistry."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
The fertility crisis: can Trump make America breed again?
Talking Point The self-styled 'fertilisation president', has been soliciting ideas on how to get Americans to have more babies
-
The fall of Saigon
The Explainer Fifty years ago the US made its final, humiliating exit from Vietnam
-
Codeword: May 11, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying report
speed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff idea
speed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'
-
Trump is not sure he must follow the Constitution
speed read When asked about due process for migrants in a TV interview, President Trump said he didn't know whether he had to uphold the Fifth Amendment