Elizabeth Warren’s Oldest Brother Dies of Coronavirus

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) announced Thursday that her oldest brother, Don Reed Herring, has died from the Chinese coronavirus at the age of 86-years-old.

“My oldest brother, Don Reed, died from coronavirus on Tuesday evening,” Warren tweeted, sharing a Boston Globe article about her brother’s death. “He joined the Air Force at 19 and spent his career in the military, including five and a half years off and on in combat in Vietnam. He was charming and funny, a natural leader.”

“I’m grateful to the nurses and frontline staff who took care of him, but it’s hard to know that there was no family to hold his hand or to say ‘I love you’ one more time—and no funeral for those of us who loved him to hold each other close. I’ll miss you dearly my brother,” the senator added.

My oldest brother, Don Reed, died from coronavirus on Tuesday evening. He joined the Air Force at 19 and spent his career in the military, including five and a half years off and on in combat in Vietnam. He was charming and funny, a natural leader. https://t.co/b8m0xKzAmM

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) April 23, 2020

I’m grateful to the nurses and frontline staff who took care of him, but it’s hard to know that there was no family to hold his hand or to say “I love you” one more time—and no funeral for those of us who loved him to hold each other close. I'll miss you dearly my brother. pic.twitter.com/oOG6HArEL6

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) April 23, 2020

According to the Globe, Herring was diagnosed with cancer several years ago and was hospitalized with pneumonia in February. Herring was recently moved into a rehabilitation facility where another patient had been infected with coronavirus and he later tested positive for the deadly illness in early April. Warren’s brother was transferred to intensive care on April 15th, where he died nearly a week later.

Warren, who ended her campaign for the White House in March, criticized President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus on Tuesday, calling for an investigation into his administration’s efforts to combat the pandemic.

“He’s misled the public from the start,” Warren tweeted of the president. “He’s allocating resources based on which governors he likes best. His family and their cronies are making policy decisions in backroom deals. Enough is enough. We need an investigation into Trump’s pandemic response.”