Donald Trump Jr has been criticised for a “despicable” and “ignorant” comment about people with HIV.
The US president’s son appeared to joke about the risks of having sex with people who have the virus in a Twitter post.
It came in response to an article by an LGBT+ website which said prophylactic drugs were highly effective in preventing the spread of HIV.
The writer, David Hudson, concluded: “Refusing to entertain the idea of dating an HIV-positive person might just mean you miss out on the love of your life.”
However Mr Trump showed no sign of having read the article when he retweeted its title, “What you stand to lose by not having sex with people with HIV”, and added the comment: ”Well I can think of one thing”.
Among those who took exception to the tweet were the actor Javier Munoz, who starred in the Broadway musical Hamilton.
“Your comment is 100 per cent part of the problem by strengthening stigma which the entire world, the entire world, is rallying to destroy because it is literally possible, within our lifetime, to end HIV/AIDS,” he replied. “This ignorant drivel is all you have to offer? You’re on the wrong side.”
Fellow actor Telly Leung told Mr Trump: “You’re a despicable person. Educate yourself, you deplorable excuse for a human being.”
Other users pointed out that the comment was particularly insensitive given that World Aids Day takes place next week.
Mr Trump has spent most of this month promoting his book Triggered, which argues that “the left thrives on hate and wants to silence it”.
His attitude towards Aids and HIV appeared to contrast with his father’s pledge earlier this year to “eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years”.
