MIAMI — Emergency crews responded Monday after a letter containing an unidentified white powder was sent to the Florida home of Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of former President and GOP front-runner Donald Trump.
Eric Trump, left, and Donald Trump Jr., wait for President Donald Trump to speak from the South Lawn of the White House, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington.
A person familiar with the matter said that results on the substance were inconclusive, but officials do not believe it was deadly. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm details of the letter, which were first reported by The Daily Beast.
Trump Jr. opened the letter, which also contained a death threat, in his home office, and emergency responders wearing hazmat suits responded.
Jupiter police said the investigation is being handled by the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, which said it was working with the Secret Service but didn’t have any further details.
Trump Jr. is one of his father's top campaign surrogates, frequently headlining events and appearing in interviews on his behalf.
It's the second time white powder has been sent to the former president's oldest 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 said the substance wasn’t dangerous.
In March 2016, police detectives and FBI agents investigated a threatening letter sent to the Manhattan apartment of Donald Trump Jr.’s brother Eric that also contained a white powder that turned out to be harmless.
Envelopes containing white powder were also sent twice in 2016 to Trump Tower, which served as Trump’s campaign headquarters.
Hoax attacks using white powder play on fears that date to 2001, when letters containing deadly anthrax were mailed to news organizations and the offices of two U.S. senators. Those letters killed five people.
Today in history: Feb. 26
1952: Winston Churchill
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In 1952, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that Britain had developed its own atomic bomb.
1987: Ronald Reagan
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In 1987, the Tower Commission, which had probed the Iran-Contra affair, issued its report, which rebuked President Ronald Reagan for failing to control his national security staff.
1998: Oprah Winfrey
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In 1998, a jury in Amarillo, Texas, rejected an $11 million lawsuit brought by Texas cattlemen who blamed Oprah Winfrey’s talk show for a price fall after a segment on food safety that included a discussion about mad cow disease.
2005: Hosni Mubarak
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In 2005, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ordered his country’s constitution changed to allow presidential challengers in an upcoming fall election.
2012: Trayvon Martin
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Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot to death in Sanford, Florida, during an altercation with neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who said he acted in self-defense.
2014: Jan Brewer
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In 2014, Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill pushed by social conservatives that would have allowed people with sincerely held religious beliefs to refuse to serve gays.
2016: Chris Christie
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In 2016, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stunned the Republican establishment by endorsing Donald Trump for president.
2016: Moonlight
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At the 89th Academy Awards, “Moonlight,” an LGBT coming of age drama, won three Oscars, including best picture of 2016.
2017: Joseph Wapner
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Joseph Wapner, the retired Los Angeles judge who presided over “The People’s Court” from 1981 to 1993, died at age 97.
