Donald Trump Jr. recently made his debut as an author with the complaint-filled book Triggered, which tries to paint him and his allies as the true victims in the current political climate — or something. Now, The New York Times has outlined at least nine different Republican political groups ranging from the conservative student organization Turning Point USA to the Republican National Committee itself who’ve made apparent bulk purchases of Triggered, which artificially boosts the book’s profile.
When Triggered — the title of which still isn’t a cutting edge joke no matter how many times Republicans repeat it — debuted at the top of The Times‘ best-seller list, the publication did note that significant numbers of its sales were from bulk purchases. Many of those purchases have apparently been used for GOP fundraising campaigns in which copies of the book were given to donors.
The Times notes:
‘[T]he breadth of the Republican establishment’s effort behind Mr. Trump is striking for a noncandidate whose most significant claim to fame remains his parentage, and who has sought to deflect criticism of his recent attacks on impeachment witnesses by asserting that he is merely a “private citizen.” And it underscores the unusual cross-pollination between the Trump family’s political ambitions, its business ventures and the party President Trump now leads.’
In other words — as if they’re promoting a literal dynasty, the Republican Party has gotten behind Donald Trump Jr. simply because of his last name, and in the process, they have yet again become a shill for the Trump family business. Government and Republican interests have already been spending large amounts of money at various Trump properties, and now there’s this scandal.
Trump Jr. already noted that his book constituted a political stunt. Although the editor doesn’t have the kind of role Trump Jr. claims, in one marketing email, he wrote:
‘Can you imagine the Editor of The Failing New York Times, waking up one morning, having to put ‘Triggered’ by Donald Trump Jr. as the NUMBER ONE BOOK IN AMERICA?’
The organizations that have purchased large amounts of Trump Jr.’s book include Turning Point USA, whose leader Charlie Kirk apparently worked for Trump Jr. during the 2016 campaign season and who the president himself has repeatedly promoted, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Republican National Committee (RNC) at large, and the political action committee Citizens United, whose leader David Bossie worked around the Trumps for some time. The RNC initially lied and claimed that it didn’t even make bulk purchases of Triggered, but The Times got their hands on Federal Election Commission records proving otherwise.
Besides the above mentioned organizations, the book has also been promoted by prominent Republican Congressmen like Florida’s Matt Gaetz and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California.
McCarthy’s spokesperson insisted:
‘Leader McCarthy shares a close relationship with Donald Trump Jr. and was thrilled to offer Triggered to his campaign supporters.’
Other bulk purchasers include state Republican parties in Arizona and Texas. The stunts come as the GOP continues to prepare for a tough re-election battle for Trump Sr. in 2020.
