Bethesda has released a statement on Robert Trump's passing, who sat on the board of Bethesda Game's parent company, ZeniMax.
Younger brother to President Donald Trump, Robert Trump recently passed away on August 15th at the age of 71. While many initial reports and tweets stated that Robert Trump had died of the Covid-19 virus, the official report does not corroborate this claim and has yet to release the official cause of death. Other family members noted that he had severe health issues prior to his death, having been sick and hospitalized a few times in the months before. On his brother's passing, President Trump said: "He was not just my brother, he was my best friend," and Robert reportedly supported his brother's political endeavors wholeheartedly.
Bethesda also released a statement on Robert Trump's passing, as the businessman had served on the board of directors for ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks. He occupied this position for over 20 years, from 1999 until his death in 2020. During this time, Bethesda published major works for franchises such as Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Doom. Trump gained attention from the media following a school shooting when he stated that video games are linked to incited violence and met with industry executives, including the CEO of ZeniMax, to support the issue. He was also an investor to the company.
"We were deeply saddened by the passing of Robert Trump, long-time member of the ZeniMax Board of Directors," Bethesda's statement reads. "Robert had served on the ZeniMax Board since the company's founding 1999. During that time he was a constant source of guidance and counsel for the company for more than two decades. In addition to his vast experience, Robert was extremely approachable and always treated board members and employees equally. We could not have grown as a company and achieved our many successes without the help and support he offered. He will be sorely missed and we extend our condolences to his family and friends." The president is expected to attend his brother's funeral.
One of the last waves Robert Trump made before his passing was filing a lawsuit to stop his niece's book from being published. Too Much and Ever Enough by Mary L. Trump gives an inside look at the Trump family dynamics and how it shaped the United States' current president as well as anonymous sources of proved tax fraud. Robert felt that a lawsuit would be in favor as it covered subjects overseen by a confidentiality agreement back in 2001, but ultimately the book was allowed to be published with only a delay in its release.
President Trump has been in the gaming news as well recently. Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order that would ban TikTok in forty-five days if it was not sold by the Chinese parent company ByteDance. The concern outlined in the executive order claims that TikTok can be used as a form of political propaganda by and/or for young people and, being owned by a Chinese company, could be at the discretion of the Chinese Community Party.