Lawyers for the president’s son Hunter Biden sent Donald Trump a cease-and-desist letter on Thursday, alleging that the former president’s frequent hostile comments about Mr Biden are defamatory and likely to inspire violence.
“We are just one such social media message away from another incident,” the letter, obtained by Law360, claims, citing the violent attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband as a cautionary tale of the dangers of online rhetoric.
“You should make it clear to Mr Trump – if you have not done so already – that Mr Trump’s words have caused harm in the past and threaten to do so again if he does not stop,” the letter adds.
The letter points to recent examples of Mr Trump’s aggressive statements about Mr Biden, such as a March social media post allegedly implying Mr Biden should get a “death sentence” and July message claiming cocaine found in the White House “was for use by Hunter,” claiming such provocations could inspire one of Mr Trump’s “easy-to-trigger followers.”
The Independent has contacted Mr Trump’s lawyers for comment.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.