President Donald Trump doubled down on a debunked murder conspiracy theory on Tuesday despite multiple please from the victim's husband. His theory accuses a prominent television host with murder for a 2001 death.

During a Rose Garden conference, he read a letter sent to Twitter from widower Timothy Klausutis where he asked the social media platform to delete the president's tweets about the alleged murder of his wife and MSNBC Joe Scarborough's involvement. Klausutis claimed the tweets violated the platform's terms of service and helped spread "falsehoods and conspiracy theories" around his wife's death.

Also read: White House Steps In to Justify Trump's Allegations About the "Cold Case" of Psycho Joe Scarborough.

The victim, Lori Klausutis, was Scarborough's intern in 2001 while he was still in a congressional office. According to reports, the victim suffered a heart condition that caused her to fall and hit her head on the desk.

Detectives who handled the case said they found no evidence of foul play. However, Trump believes the situation was "suspicious" and hoped someone would solve the case. He also published tweets suggesting Scarborough might have been responsible for Lori's death.

 

When asked to address his controversial tweet, Trump said, "A lot of people suggest that and hopefully someday people are going to find out."

Trump also dismissed the widower's please, claiming the victim's family would also want to "get to the bottom of it." He urges law enforcement officers to re-investigate the case.

In a tweet, he urged the Florida police to "reopen the cold case on the Psycho Joe Scarborough." The president also claimed Scarborough's resignation the month before the accident was suspicious.

Twitter's Response

Scarborough hit back at the president following his tweets. On his MSNBC show "Morning Joe," the host blasted Trump for forcing his family to relive his wife's death. Mika Brzezinski, his co-host and current wife, also responded to the accusations, claiming they were "cruel and full of hate."

Klausutis asked Twitter to intervene and delete the tweets, citing his wife's memory was being perverted for political gain. He also mentioned the social media platform's rules and terms of service, claiming the president's tweets violated the rules.

Twitter responded by saying the president's tweets did not violate the company's rules despite a policy saying users are not allowed to engage in targeted harassment of an individual.

However, the company did attach a "get the facts" warning to two of Trump's tweets where he made false claims about voted fraud in the state of California. The warning directs viewers to fact-checking notes. Despite the move, they still refused to take down his tweets about Scarborough.

Also read: Twitter Criticized by U.S. President Trump for Labeling His Social Media Posts as "Misleading."

Experts fear the tweets could possibly inspire a supporter to act out believing the host has escaped justice. Politics professors believe the theories may encourage the president's followers to believe in debunked accusations. Trump's position as an authority figure may also contribute to a movement that can easily grow worse once it inspires more people.

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