The Clintons and Sen. Bernie Sanders each paid their respects to legendary heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali, who died late Friday night at the age of 74.
Ali, who thrice won the world heavyweight boxing title, became a household name in the U.S. and was affectionately referred to as “The Greatest” by his fans across the globe.
“Hillary and I are saddened by the passing of Muhammad Ali,” former President Bill Clinton, who met the boxer on several occasions, said in a statement Friday evening. “From the day he claimed the Olympic gold medal in 1960, boxing fans across the world knew they were seeing a blend of beauty and grace, speed and strength that may never be matched again.”
Clinton continued, “We watched him grow from the brash self-confidence of youth and success into a manhood full of religious and political convictions that led him to make tough choices and live with the consequences.”
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was campaigning in California at the time of Ali’s death, described the boxer as “not only an extraordinary athlete, but a man of great courage and humanity.”
Shortly before the two Democratic presidential candidates issued statements, Donald Trump took to Twitter to react to the loss.
Ali died at a hospital in Phoenix, Ariz., Friday night shortly after being admitted for respiratory issues. He had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for more than three decades.
