Former President Donald Trump hailed the life and work of one of his conservative allies, late Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who died Saturday at age 88.
"I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family of the great Sen. Orrin Hatch, his wife Elaine, and his six children," Trump wrote in a Save America PAC statement. "Orrin was a true warrior for our country, for liberty, and for his beloved state of Utah.
"He was as wise as he was kind, and as tough as he was smart — he loved America and his contributions to our country were tremendous. His legacy will surely live on through the many lives he impacted. May God bless Orrin Hatch."
Hatch was the longest-serving Republican senator in history, and finished his term under the Trump administration, retiring Jan. 3, 2019 after 42 years of service.
Hatch, a former bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, became an ally of Trump, using his role as chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee to get a major rewrite of the U.S. tax codes to the president's desk.
In return, Trump helped Hatch deliver a key issue for Republicans in Utah by agreeing to drastically downsize two national monuments that had been declared by past presidents.
Hatch was a boxer and when announced he would not seek reelection in 2018, he said "every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.