Donald Trump Jr’s transphobic book makes it to number one on New York Times bestseller list, but Twitter is suspicious
Donald Trump Jr. (Getty)
Soaring its way up the New York Times bestseller list is Donald Trump Jr’s new book, which features a chapter dedicated to attacking trans athletes.
But some Twitter users believe the book debuting into the coveted spot might be suspect.
The eldest son of the US president released his book Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence US, on November 5.
Donald Trump Jr’s book tops Times bestseller list due to ‘bulk buys’.
Topping the chart in the ‘Combined Print and E-Book Nonfiction’ and ‘Hardcover Nonfiction’ categories, Donald Trump tweeted his support for his son.
Wow! Was just told that my son’s book, “Triggered,” is Number One on The New York Times Bestseller List. Congratulations Don!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 14, 2019
Trump has, on several occasions, referred to the Times as “fake news”, “biased” as well as having “zero credibility”
While the author himself thanked the “deplorables” for the achievement in a tweet today.
However, many Twitter users were quick to point out that on the list, Trump Jr’s book has a dagger next to the title.
In the Times’ methodology, a dagger (†) specifies when a book’s sales include “bulk purchases”.
“Institutional, special interest, group or bulk purchases, if and when they are included, are at the discretion of The New York Times Best-Seller List Desk”, according to the Times.
This is “based on standards for inclusion that encompass proprietary vetting and audit protocols, corroborative reporting and other statistical determinations.”
As a result, several users dubbed the chart position as “suspicious”.
Donald Trump Jr.'s book debuted at #1 on NYT's bestseller's.
But what is that dagger next to his name?That means that he got on this list because of bulk sales.
Probably 1 bulk sale.
To his dad.Did I say his dad?
Sorry, I meant his mom.
His dad hates him.#Thursdaythoughts pic.twitter.com/FrXgb0VrD6— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) November 14, 2019
Donald Trump Jr. makes it to Number 1 on The NY Times Bestseller list. Note the “dagger” next to his ranking. The dagger usually signifies suspicious bulk purchases rather than actually beating the competition fairly. This is a metaphor for his entire life. pic.twitter.com/kpyP2eRDjI— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) November 14, 2019
https://twitter.com/jdgum94/status/1195056838842159109
@DonaldJTrumpJr there's a 'dagger' symbol right next to your book Triggered's entry at the NYT Best Sellers list. It means there were massive bulk orders, as opposed to real, discreet individuals placing real individual orders. Thought you might want to know.— Federico Benque (@in2none) November 14, 2019
Trump Jr has not directly responded to the accusations, but did retweet a note from Republican political strategist Andrew Surabian commenting on the records:
https://twitter.com/Surabees/status/1195065635123924994
Although, Zeke Miller, White House correspondent for the Associated Press, had previously posted an email sent out by the Republican National Committee offering “hand-signed” copies of Trump Jr’s book to anyone who made a donation of $50 or more:
The RNC is giving away signed Donald Trump Jr. books to donors. (This is a tactic that helps boost reported sales) pic.twitter.com/AvNozpspm5
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) November 5, 2019
President’s son misgenders trans athletes while making debased accusations.
In Triggered, Trump Jr has trumped his own transphobia, misgendering the entire community.
“When we allow mediocre men to compete in women’s sports, we do a disservice to all the hardworking young women who have fought to get to where they are,” he wrote.
Trump Jr says that trans inclusion is about more than “just our sense of fairness and [the] lost scholarships [that are] on the line”, claiming that it can also pose a “safety issue”.
Referring to retired MMA fighter Fallon Fox, he suggested that she transitioned in order to abuse cis women.
Donald Trump Jr, son of Donald Trump. (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty)
“This wasn’t just a man who wanted to run races in lanes next to women. This was a man who was losing bouts to other men, so he decided he wanted to beat up women instead.”
Trump Jr wrote about a 2014 match in which Fox left her opponent Tamikka Brents with a broken orbital bone.
“He [sic] used his big hands to beat Brents into an early technical knockout,” he wrote.
“There is no universe in which that should be acceptable, nor is there anyone who can argue that it was a fair fight!”
At the time, Brents suggested that the injury might have related the fact that Fox is trans, claiming that she had “fought a lot of women and have never felt the strength that I felt in a fight as I did that night”.
Dr Eric Vilain, director of the Institute For Society And Genetics at UCLA, refuted the claim in Time Magazine, saying that AMAB trans people “have significantly less muscle strength and bone density, and higher fat mass, than males”.
