Actor Peter Fonda apologises for 'vulgar' tweet about Donald Trump's son over immigration policy

Actor Peter Fonda has apologised to President Donald Trump’s family for a “vulgar” tweet about Barron Trump.

The American actor’s tweet, which has since been deleted, said the president’s 12-year-old son should be ripped from his mother’s arms and “put in a cage with paedophiles”.

Fonda, 78, was one of the many high profile figures to express their dismay at the Trump administration's new “zero tolerance” immigration policy.

Melania Trump, Barron's mother, alerted the tweet to the Secret Service, according to her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham.

Ms Grisham said the tweet was “sick and irresponsible” in a statement to the US media.

The Oscar nominee later issued an apology over his comments on Wednesday.

He said: "I tweeted something highly inappropriate and vulgar about the president and his family in response to the devastating images I was seeing on television.

“It was wrong and I should not have done it. I immediately regretted it and sincerely apologise to the family for what I said and any hurt my words have caused."

The Easy Rider actor had written the late-night tweet in response to the migrant family separations occurring at the US-Mexico border.

Donald Trump Jr, Barron’s older brother, said that Fonda was “a bully and a coward” for his threatening comments.

Other Twitter users also berated Fonda for the tweet, with one person writing: “The comments you made regarding Barron & calling for violence are way over the line. Especially Barron, since he is a child & should never be involved. Please stop!”

Another said: “Anyone who make threats against ANY child, especially ones involving sexual abuse, doesn't understand the point.”

Trump signed an executive order reversing the migrant separation policy on Wednesday.

Migrant families will still be detained at the border but will be detained together instead of separately under the new order.