Ex Obama staffer under fire for wishing death on Trump after coronavirus diagnosis

While the now-deleted tweet was met with immediate condemnation online, Twitter has not immediately taken action against users violating the company's rules on 'abusive behaviour’

A former staff member of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton said on Friday she hoped Donald Trump dies following his positive diagnosis of Covid-19.

In a now-deleted tweet, Zara Rahim used star emojis to highlight her position to the 37,000 followers of her verified account.

"It's been against my moral identity to tweet this for the past four years, but, I hope he dies," she said.

It came shortly after Mr Trump and Melania Trump announced the positive test on Thursday night, with Ms Rahim sending a series of follow-up tweets before taking them down.

While her account was locked to private by Friday morning, multiple media outlets reported that Ms Rahim subsequently posted a smiling selfie with the caption: "This f*cking rules".

Ms Rahim previously worked for the Office of Digital Strategy for the Obama White House from 2013 to 2014, and as a national spokeswoman for Ms Clinton's campaign in 2016. She has since been in the private sector working in communications departments for Uber, Vogue, and The Wing before becoming self-employed as a consultant in April this year, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Ms Rahim's message was met with immediate condemnation online, with Piers Morgan calling it "shocking and shameful".

Other high-profile celebrities appeared to celebrate and make Trump's coronavirus diagnosis the butt of the joke, with Kathy Griffin, who has previously staged photos holing a fake severed head of the president, volunteering to be his caregiver.

Jimmy Kimmel, meanwhile, wondered why vice president Mike Pence was throwing Wonder Bread in the air in celebration, in seeming reference to the continuity of government that would make him president if Mr Trump is unable to continue.

The Washington Post also removed an automated tweet it called tasteless in light of the diagnosis. It was an opinion column asking: "Imagine what it will be like to never have to think about Trump again".

Twitter did not immediately respond to The Independent over whether it would take action against users violating its "abusive behaviour" terms of service to wish harm on the president.

The company says accounts engaging in abusive behaviour could be permanently suspended

"We do not tolerate content that wishes, hopes or expresses a desire for death, serious bodily harm or fatal disease against an individual or group of people," the company's terms of service say.

The company says that includes hoping that someone dies as a result of a serious disease, such as coronavirus.