Donald Trump Jr. Attacks Olympian Adam Rippon On Twitter
Like father, like son.
Donald Trump Jr. used Twitter to launch an unprovoked attack on U.S. Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon on Tuesday night.
President Donald Trump’s eldest son responded to a report in The Hill that said Rippon, 28, didn’t want his experience at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, to be defined by his stance against Vice President Mike Pence.
Really? Then Perhaps you shouldn’t have spent the past few weeks talking about him. I haven’t heard him mention you once??? https://t.co/8lcCsoyBsq
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 14, 2018
Trump Jr. overlooked one key detail. Pence mentioned Rippon on Twitter just last week, and also reportedly asked to meet with him before the Winter Games.
.@Adaripp I want you to know we are FOR YOU. Don’t let fake news distract you. I am proud of you and ALL OF OUR GREAT athletes and my only hope for you and all of #TeamUSA is to bring home the gold. Go get ‘em!
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) February 8, 2018
Rippon, the first openly gay U.S. figure skater to compete in the Olympics, helped Team USA win a bronze medal in the figure skating team event on Monday. Last month, he called out Pence’s intolerance toward the LGBTQ community, and blasted the vice president’s decision to lead the U.S. delegation at the opening ceremony. The athlete also said he’d rebuff a White House invite to a post-Games party.
Rippon has not commented on Trump Jr.’s tweet.
Some respondents suggested the skater should leave politics out of the Olympics. The majority, however, called out Trump Jr.:
Hey, Don...It’s really not like you to get your facts wrong...What would your father say about you spreading FAKE NEWS? SAD! pic.twitter.com/yngPsDhTFj
— Eoin O'Callaghan (@EoinOCallaghan) February 14, 2018
Wow! Publically attacking an Olympic athlete!!! How American is that!?!
— Lara 🌺🌊 (@DPWIMM) February 14, 2018
Well pences office did want to arrange a meeting!
— Cameron McDonald (@cam2000deluxe) February 14, 2018
— Grizzly Chief (@Grizzly_Chief) February 14, 2018
Pence was BEGGING for a talk with Adam!
Sorry...Does that contradict the LIES you have been told by Fox? pic.twitter.com/eqYZgPKvl0— Rose Nelson (@RoseNels1951) February 14, 2018
Mike Pence tweeted about him explicitly.
— C (@c_f_392) February 14, 2018
You not paying attention isn't exactly news. But here ya go: https://t.co/nEa20WvetD
— Beth Gould (@ABGEsquire) February 14, 2018
I dunno Donny... I like @Adaripp - He seems charming, talented, hardworking and passionate... ya know, all the things you’re lacking.
— Joshua Mann (@JoshuaLeeMann) February 14, 2018
Dude, go. Away. Shut up. Please. Pence hasn’t talked about him? Yes. Yes he has. Pence has also, in his lifetime, been a prejudicial dickbag against all gay people.
— Tal (@giantcu92) February 14, 2018
How many times has POTUS wished OUR Olympians good luck at the games so far since they began? ZERO !!
— C. Rafael Parish (@parishiner) February 14, 2018
Ummm... your father attacked the entire NFL all summer just because some of them kneeled.
They kneeled to protest racially biased police brutality.
Yeah, your father had a problem with people not wanting to get shot for no reason.— Victor Stoddard (@VicStoddard) February 14, 2018
WHY do you do this? Just sit back and count your money it’s much more becoming than attacking Olympic athletes over political views!
— Paul Neaville (@pneaville) February 14, 2018
Honestly he hasn’t said anything insulting, the only reason he’s even mentioned him so much is because NBC won’t stop asking him about it.
— Jenna Wallgren (@TwoLLsOneE) February 14, 2018
Remember when you and your family said to keep politics out of sports? Oh wait! That’s when it fits your agenda. Leave Rippon alone JR
— ginny allee (@Crazyginny) February 14, 2018
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
