Cokie Roberts, the legendary journalist and political commentator, passed away on Tuesday in Washington aging 75.
ABC New posted on its official website that Roberts died after struggling with breast cancer which was first diagnosed in 2002.
“Cokie’s kindness, generosity, sharp intellect and thoughtful take on the big issues of the day made ABC a better place and all of us better journalists,” James Goldston, president of ABC News, said in a statement.
“We will miss Cokie beyond measure, both for her contributions and for her love and kindness,” her family said in a statement.
Roberts started her career at CBS, then began working for NPR in 1978, covering Capitol Hill. She joined ABC in 1988. Her three decades at the network included anchoring, with Sam Donaldson, the Sunday morning news program “This Week” from 1996 to 2002.
Throughout her decades-long career, Cokie Roberts won several awards including three Emmys. She also has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame and was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting.
U.S. President, Donald Trump, commented on her death.
“I never met her. She never treated me nicely. But I would like to wish her family well. She was a professional, and I respect professionals,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to California.
Former President Barack Obama, released a statement Tuesday calling Cokie Roberts “a role model to young women at a time when the profession was still dominated by men; a constant over forty years of a shifting media landscape and changing world, informing voters about the issues of our time and mentoring young journalists every step of the way.”
