Donald Trump Jr. is putting the pressure on book publisher Simon & Schuster after coming across a tweet by one of its authors — famous “Jeopardy!” winner Ken Jennings.
It all started Wednesday after Jennings tweeted a joke about Barron Trump, going off of claims that the president’s youngest son thought Kathy Griffin’s decapitated head photo shoot was real.
https://twitter.com/KenJennings/status/869982330743513089
He then moved on to President Donald Trump after some criticized the joke, focusing on Barron’s age.
I have moved the necktie to one side of the ham but it still looks a little like the president. 🙁
— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) May 31, 2017
Conservatives started tweeting Simon & Schuster contact information in response, encouraging others to make a complaint and threaten a boycott. This included conservative blogger Ginger McQueen, who pointed out the connection between Jennings and the publishing house.
He writes children's books for Simon & Schuster. Call them at 1(800) 223-2336, then chose option 4. Yes, this is the jackass from Jeopardy. https://t.co/lVJGJ1SvyC
— Ginger McQueen ? (@GingerMcQueen) May 31, 2017
Some who were in favor of the boycott included first son Donald Trump Jr., who came to his brother’s defense.
“It takes a real man to pick on an 11 year old,” he tweeted. “Yet another low from the left, but they will rationalize this away with their usual excuses.”
It takes a real man to pick on an 11 year old. Yet another low from the left, but they will rationalize this away with their usual excuses. https://t.co/JDF3VsVEJ1
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 31, 2017
Good point, you would think that in this day & age @simonandschuster would have an issue with one of their children's authors bullying a kid https://t.co/S4Bxs7AnSs
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 1, 2017
Since his record-setting win on “Jeopardy!,” Jennings has been putting out educational books for kids and adults. His current project involves his “Junior Genius Guides,” which seek to teach young audiences about subjects such as the human body, space and most recently, dinosaurs.
Jennings doubled down on his comments though, especially in regards to Trump Jr.’s tweets about his masculinity.
I will kill as many white rhinos as it takes to prove my masculinity to Donald Trump Jr. https://t.co/mm8YzH2NPB
— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) May 31, 2017
Reps for Simon & Schuster have not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment
Barron has been the target of jokes lobbed at the administration and the family before. In January, “Saturday Night Live” writer Katie Rich was suspended indefinitely after she quipped in a tweet that the youngest Trump son looked like a “homeschool shooter.”
Rosie O’Donnell also came under fire when she retweeted a video suggesting that Barron was autistic.