Over the weekend, “Saturday Night Live” writer Katie Rich tweeted that Barron Trump, who is only 10, might be America’s “first homeschool shooter.”
Rich (pictured) was roundly criticized and later deleted the tweet, and her entire profile. She was one of many people over the years who has broken the rule that presidential children should be off-limits.
In 1950, President Truman wrote a famously angry letter to Paul Hume, who criticized the singing of Truman’s daughter, Margaret. “Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens, you’ll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!” the president wrote.
In Hume’s defense, Margaret Truman was in her 20s at the time, and declared, “Mr Hume is a very fine critic. He has a right to write as he pleases.”
In 1988, Rush Limbaugh called Amy Carter “the most unattractive presidential daughter in the history of the country.” His own mother was among the people who called to criticize him.
Did he learn his lesson? Nope. In 1993, Limbaugh pretended to confuse 12-year-old Chelsea Clinton with the White House dog.
In May 2001, after 19-year-old Jenna Bush was accused of trying to use a fake ID to buy booze, the New York Post ran the headline, “Jenna and Tonic.”
Soon after, The Onion tried to criticize President Bush’s environmental policies by sexualizing his teenage daughter with the headline, “Jenna Bush’s Federally Protected Wetlands Now Open for Public Drilling.”
Elizabeth Lauten, a spokeswoman for Republican lawmaker, resigned after criticizing Sasha and Malia Obama for not treating a White House turkey pardon with the decorum she felt it deserved.
Before Trump took the oath of office, Rosie O’Donnell publicly wondered whether Barron Trump might be autistic.
Given the history of animosity between Donald Trump and O’Donnell, the family didn’t buy her claim that she was just trying to be helpful. O’Donnell later apologized to Melania Trump.
It comes full circle: Chelsea Clinton is among those who says people should leave Barron Trump alone.
On Monday, “SNL” suspended Rich indefinitely over the school-shooting tweet.
Making fun of presidential kids is off-limits, but making fun of adult politicians isn’t. Here’s our look at Inauguation Faces Ranked From Least to Most Miserable.
