WASHINGTON (AP) � The family of former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says he has died. He was 88.
The two-time defense secretary and one-time presidential candidate had a reputation as a skilled bureaucrat and visionary of a modern U.S. military, but it was soiled by the long and costly Iraq war.
Regarded by former colleagues as equally smart and combative, patriotic and politically cunning, Rumsfeld had a storied career under four presidents and nearly a quarter century in corporate America.
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement regarding the death of former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld:
“Elaine and I were saddened today by the passing of an American patriot who served his country honorably and tirelessly.
“Donald Rumsfeld’s decades of service began and ended among the brave men and women working to keep America safe. His time on active duty in the Navy began a distinguished career that elevated his talents to the highest levels of policymaking and public leadership. At every step of the way, Donald Rumsfeld led with conviction and a cutting intellect.
“Our nation has lost one of its fiercest defenders. But today, I know the Senate’s deepest sympathies are with Joyce and the entire Rumsfeld family, who have lost a beloved husband, father, and role model.�
