Joe Biden called Heather Heyer's mother after his Charlottesville-focused campaign video to talk about loss


Joe Biden didn't call Susan Bro before mentioning her daughter Heather Heyer in his 2020 campaign launch video. But she wants to make it clear she's not "devastated or traumatized" about it.
In his video shared Thursday, the former vice president evoked the Unite the Right white supremacist rally held in summer 2017, and President Trump's "both sides" comment that followed it. Biden particularly mentioned how "a brave young woman" protesting the event "lost her life," noticeably not mentioning Heyer's name.
Bro, who has since started an anti-hate foundation in her daughter's name, told CNN's New Day on Friday that she woke up to calls from press asking her about Biden's video. But Bro "wasn’t surprised" by the mention, she told The Daily Beast, adding that "most people ... capitalize on whatever situation is handy." Still, she said she's "glad he [Biden] didn’t specifically mention Heather" because "it's not all about her."
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.
After her interview with The Daily Beast, Bro told CNN that Biden called her a few hours after the video premiered. The two talked "a lot about bereavement," and Biden said he "would've reached out sooner but I wasn't sure how you would feel," Bro said in the Friday appearance. Bro wasn't, as some rumors suggested, "devastated or traumatized" by Heyer's mention in the video, she said. Watch her CNN appearance below. Kathryn Krawczyk
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Lemon and courgette carbonara recipe
The Week Recommends Zingy and fresh, this pasta is a summer treat
-
Corbynism returns: a new party on the Left
Talking Point Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's breakaway progressive party has already got off to a shaky start
-
Oasis reunited: definitely maybe a triumph
Talking Point The reunion of a band with 'the power of Led Zeppelin' and 'the swagger of the Rolling Stones'
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling