WASHINGTON/MIAMI .- A letter with an unidentified white powder was sent to the house of Donald Trump Jr., eldest son of former President Donald Trump, after which Florida emergency personnel went to the scene on Monday.
A person familiar with the matter said analyzes of the substance were inconclusive, but that authorities do not believe it is lethal. The person spoke on condition of anonymity in order to confirm details of the letter. The Daily Beast was the first outlet to report on the letter.
Trump Jr. opened the letter, which also included a death threat, in his home office, and emergency personnel dressed in protective gear showed up on the scene.
Jupiter police said the investigation is being handled by the Palm Beach County Police Department. which indicated that it was collaborating with the Secret Service, but had no further details. The Secret Service declined to comment.
Trump Jr. is a top adviser to his father’s campaign and often headlines events and interviews on behalf of the former president.
It is the second time that a letter with white powder has been sent to the former president’s eldest son. In 2018, his then-wife, Vanessa, was taken to a New York City hospital after she opened an envelope addressed to her husband that contained an unidentified white powder. Police later indicated that the substance was not dangerous.
In March 2016, police detectives and FBI agents investigated a threatening letter sent to Trump Jr.’s brother Eric’s Manhattan apartment, which also contained a white powder that was found to be harmless.
In 2016, two envelopes containing white powder were sent to Trump Tower, which was Trump’s campaign headquarters.
The fake white powder attacks exploit fears dating back to 2001, when anthrax letters were sent to media outlets and the offices of federal senators. These letters claimed the lives of five people.
Source: With information from AP
