Quote:The leader of a libertarian-leaning tech group is stepping down as its president after tweeting that it would be “poetic justice” if President Donald Trump died from the coronavirus, the group confirmed Friday.

Berin Szóka, president of Washington-based think tank TechFreedom, will be taking an indefinite sabbatical to write a book on tech policy, as first reported by POLITICO earlier Friday. Shane Tews, a longtime member of the group's board, will lead the organization in his stead.

The move deals a blow to one of the tech industry’s staunchest defenders in Washington, where Szóka has served as its combative and outspoken leader for nearly a decade.

Szóka and TechFreedom, which receives funding from at least one tech giant, Google, have been relentless allies of Silicon Valley, particularly as it has faced calls for increased regulation in Washington in recent years. The group has opposed efforts to create more stringent rules for privacy and online speech, among other issues.

But Szóka has also been a frequent critic of the president, delivering at times scathing rebukes of his actions on social media.

The planned shake-up comes just four days after Szóka prompted a firestorm of criticism online by suggesting that the president succumbing to the virus would be fitting.

“Serious question: could there possibly [sic] any greater poetic justice in the universe than for Trump to die of the #CPACvirus?” Szóka tweeted late Monday.