President Donald Trump is mourning the death of colleague and GOP donor Chris Cline. Cline, a coal tycoon that popped in the public eye when he dated Tiger Woods’ ex-wife Elin Nordegren, died in a helicopter crash on Thursday alongside six others, including his daughter Kameron Cline. On Friday, Trump publicly acknowledged the tragedy, passing on his “deepest sympathies.”
My deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of great businessman and energy expert Chris Cline, his wonderful daughter, Kameron, and their friends, on the tragic accident which took place in the Bahamas. The great people of West Virginia will never forget them!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2019
Cline, who had turned 60 years old on Thursday, was known for his political donations. Telegraph reports that he donated $1 million to Jeb Bush’s political action committee during the 2016 election. After Trump won the presidency, he provided a $1 million donation towards the now-POTUS’ inauguration.
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This political tie to Trump led to some backlash from Twitter users. In addition to distaste for how Cline used his fortune and the non-eco-friendly industry he championed, many thought that Trump was only caring about his death due to Cline’s wealth.
It is a sad event for sure and my prayers are with thier loved ones but he was no energy expert. He purposely profited off the destruction of this planet.
— Dwayne Bauknight (@Bigdttme) July 6, 2019
He was worth 2 billion dollars. That’s what someone making $50,000 a year could make if they worked for 40,000 years. He was part of the problem. No ill will, if he was a good person peace be with him. But Trump sucking up to get some cash is disgusting.
— spacecadet 🇨🇦 (@spacecadetier) July 6, 2019
I’m not here to make light of anyone’s death, no matter how rich or poor they are. But it’s just curious to me that the President of the United States cares more about a billionaire donor than the immigrant children who died in internment camps without proper medical care.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) July 6, 2019
Others also blasted the POTUS for dedicating a tweet to the late billionaire while there is currently a humanitarian crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, which the government facing pressure to reform ICE facilities and practices.
Despite this, Trump double down on his admiration for Cline, tweeting that he was “a wonderful man and great Republican.”
Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
