Statement from President Joe Biden on the Passing of Phil Donahue

In Phil Donahue, our nation has misplaced a trailblazing tv icon who held up a mirror to America and united us across the hardest problems with our time.

A son of a working-class, Irish-Catholic household from Cleveland, Phil first honed his craft as a radio station assistant in college, earlier than rising to remodel tv and reshape the nationwide dialog.

Over near 30 years, almost 7,000 episodes, and 20 Emmys, he pioneered the stay daytime discuss present, serving to change hearts and minds by way of sincere and open dialogue. He broadcast the facility of non-public tales in residing rooms throughout the nation, interviewing everybody from our best stars to our forgotten neighbors. Insatiably curious and accepting, Phil noticed each visitor as worthy of curiosity and labored to construct understanding, serving to us see one another not as enemies, however as fellow People.

By means of his extraordinary profession in tv and thru 1000’s of day by day conversations, Phil Donahue steered the nationwide discourse and spoke to our higher angels. He shall be sorely missed.

Jill and I ship our deepest condolences to the Donahue household and preserve them shut in our hearts—together with his beloved spouse of 44 years, Marlo Thomas, and his sister, youngsters, and grandchildren.

Might God bless you, Phil.

###