Donald Trump Jr.’s wife, Vanessa Trump, was hospitalized on Monday after opening a letter filled with white powder. A new report from the New York Post says that the envelope was filled with cornstarch.
Vanessa reportedly opened the envelope at 10 a.m. It was addressed to her husband, and arrived at the upscale Manhattan home of Vanessa’s mother, Bonnie Haydon. The letter was postmarked from Boston, and authorities are still investigating who might have sent it.
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Vanessa and her mother both handled the envelope. When they realized what the contents were, they immediately called 9-1-1. The two of them were taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, along with a third person who has yet to be identified.
A report from DailyMail claims that Vanessa began coughing and feeling nauseous shortly after opening the envelope. The NYPD’s elite Emergency Service Unit responded to the scene, as well as a hazmat team, the department’s Intelligence Bureau, The Secret Service, the Department of Environmental Protection and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
A source in the NYPD told DailyMail that the substance was “deemed to be non-hazardous,” but that it was being lab-tested for “further analysis.” A source informed the New York Post that it was simply cornstarch.
Michael Cohen, the president‘s personal lawyer, wondered, “How disturbed must a person be to do what they did to a mother of five young children? This dangerous and reckless act goes beyond political differences.”
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders addressed the incident in her press briefing today.
“I know the president spoke with her (Vanessa). Beyond that, at this point, it’s an ongoing and active investigation so I can’t comment any further,” Sanders said.
Donald Trump Jr. himself tweeted about the incident, confirming that his wife is healthy and safe.
“Thankful that Vanessa & my children are safe and unharmed after the incredibly scary situation that occurred this morning,” he wrote. “Truly disgusting that certain individuals choose to express their opposing views with such disturbing behavior.”
His sister, Presidential Advisor Ivanka Trump, addressed the scare on Twitter as well.
“Think of @MrsVanessaTrump & wishing I was by her side today,” she wrote. “No one deserves to be frightened this way. There is no excuse.”
