President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE on Monday offered condolences to the family of New York real estate developer and friend Stanley Chera, who recently died as a result of the novel coronavirus.

“My deepest sympathies go out to Frieda Chera and the family of the late, great, Stanley Chera, one of Manhattan’s most brilliant real estate minds. Stanley was charitable, kind, and a wonderful friend. He will be truly missed!” Trump tweeted Monday afternoon.

News broke over the weekend that Chera, who was in his late 70s, had died due to complications from COVID-19.

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During briefings at the White House on the coronavirus in recent weeks, Trump described a friend who had fallen ill with the virus. The president didn’t name Chera specifically, but The New York Times reported earlier this month that the individual was believed to be Chera. Trump described him as falling into a coma.

“I have some friends that are unbelievably sick. We thought they were going in for a mild stay. And in one case, he's unconscious — in a coma. And you say, ‘How did that happen?’” the president said at a briefing in the White House Rose Garden at the end of March.

Trump said at a later briefing that the virus hit his friend “very hard,” describing him as “central casting” for the illness.

“He’s strong — a very strong kind of a guy. But he's older. He's heavier. And he's sort of central casting for what we're talking about, and it hit him very hard,” Trump told reporters, again without naming the individual. “I've never seen anything like it.”

Chera founded the real estate firm Crown Acquisitions in New York. The real estate mogul was also a major donor to the Trump campaign since 2016.