Who was Donald Rumsfeld and what was his cause of death?
FORMER Republican Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld died on June 29, 2021.
He spent nearly
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Who was Donald Rumsfeld?
served as Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under Gerald Ford, and again from January 2001 to December 2006 under George W. Bush.
He was both the youngest and the second-oldest person to serve in the Secretary of Defense role.
was working in the during and it's aftermath.
He oversaw Pentagon’s response and its initial attack on bases in .
From there, he became a key decision maker during the , turning the Pentagon’s attention to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2002.
In 2003, forces invaded Iraq to prevent Hussein from launching attacks with weapons of mass destruction.
This prompted a guerrilla war in the country after none were found.
Bush fired Rumsfeld in 2006, following thousands of deaths of US troops as well as Iraqi and Afghani civilians.
What was his cause of death?
, at the age of 88.
The cause of Rumsfeld's death was multiple myeloma, , Keith Urbahn.
He leaves behind his wife and their three children, Valerie, Marcy and Nick.
His family confirmed the news of his death in a statement, writing: "It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Donald Rumsfeld, an American statesman and devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather.
"History may remember him for his extraordinary accomplishments over six decades of public service, but for those who knew him best and whose lives were forever changed as a result, we will remember his unwavering love for his wife Joyce, his family and friends, and the integrity he brought to a life dedicated to country."
The statement confirmed that he passed away "surrounded by family" in Taos, .
What did social media say about Donald Rumsfeld's death?
Twitter users weighed in on the news of Rumsfeld's passing on the platform with some blasting him as a "war monger" and "war criminal".
But others wrote condolences: "Our country lost a great man today. #DonaldRumsfeld was a brilliant thinker and a humble servant leader. We offer our deepest condolences to his family."
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One user quoted the the late politician: “'There are known knowns — there are things we know we know.
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"We also know there are known unknowns — that is to say we know there are some things we do not know.
"But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know.'”