Washington, Aug 16 (IANS): US President Donald Trump has confirmed that his younger brother, Robert, has passed away at the age of 71.

"It is with heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight," Xinhua news agency quoted Trump as saying in the statement on Saturday night.

"He was not just my brother, he was my best friend. He will be greatly missed, but we will meet again.

"His memory will live on in my heart forever. Robert, I love you. Rest in peace," he added.

Trump visited his brother on Friday at a New York hospital after being told he was seriously ill.

The cause of the death has not yet been revealed.

Born in 1948 as the youngest of real estate developer Fred Trump's five children, Robert was a longtime businessman as well, managing the Trump Organization's real estate holdings outside Manhattan.

He was perceived as a quiet and easygoing person in the Trump family, being shielded from his father's disciplines and keeping a low public profile particularly after his elder brother won the presidency.

The younger Trump was a staunch supporter of his brother when the latter ran for President in the 2016 election.