The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin departed this mortal coil yesterday, and tributes to the legendary singer have been pouring in from all corners.

Most people have been expressing their sadness that Franklin is gone, and their gratefulness for her music - but Donald Trump's remarks on her death have been causing quite a stir. For a change.

Trump's initial tweet after her death was announced was fairly innocuous by his standards, saying "The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, is dead. She was a great woman, with a wonderful gift from God, her voice. She will be missed!". However, during a press conference at the White House later in the day, he opened by saying “I want to begin today by expressing my condolences to the family of a person I knew well. She worked for me on numerous occasions.”

People were both confused by the capacity in which Franklin may have 'worked' for Trump; although the White House did not clarify that to journalists, later it was surmised that Franklin sang at the opening of some Trump hotels and at different events in the 1990s.

In any case, his comments were seen as somewhat disparaging and pretty disrespectful...