Donald Trump Jr. has recently stirred controversy by selling T-shirts that mock actor Alec Baldwin for the tragic accident that occurred on the set of the movie “Rust.” The T-shirt bears the slogan “Guns don’t kill people, Alec Baldwin kills people” and is available for purchase on Trump Jr.’s website for $27.99 each. This move comes after Baldwin unintentionally discharged a prop gun, resulting in the death of the cinematographer on set.
Alec Baldwin has long been an advocate for gun control in the United States. However, his unfortunate mistake of causing harm while using a prop gun has prompted Trump Jr. to capitalize on the situation by selling these offensive T-shirts. Trump Jr. promoted the merchandise on his Instagram Story, urging his followers to “get yours now.”
The advertisement featured a photoshopped image of Baldwin wearing the controversial T-shirt. In response to Trump Jr.’s sale of the anti-Baldwin merchandise, The Daily News from New York criticized the former president’s son, labeling him the “Spawn of Hatin.” Many followers and fans of the Trump family also expressed their disappointment, describing Trump Jr. as “deplorable” and willing to do “anything to make a buck.”
Conversely, former Trump supporters condemned Trump Jr. for this T-shirt scandal, calling him a “miserable” person for his “disgusting” stunt that profited from Baldwin’s tragedy. Other Trump fans even went as far as to brand him “scum” and “repugnant” for shamelessly exploiting the death of the cinematographer to make money from like-minded supporters.
For instance, Fred Guttenberg, the father of Jaime Guttenberg, a 14-year-old victim of the Parkland school shooting, took to Twitter to express his strong disapproval of Trump Jr.’s actions. Guttenberg stated that Trump Jr. had crossed a line by releasing these offensive T-shirts. He called Trump Jr. “the scum of the earth” from a “miserable family” and compared him to his father, Donald Trump, noting that they are both equally miserable.
Others also deemed Trump Jr.’s stunt as absolutely horrible and urged the victim’s family to pursue legal action against him, suggesting they sue him for every penny he is worth. They criticized Trump Jr.’s actions as “utterly deplorable.”
However, despite the backlash, Trump Jr. remained unapologetic and defended his decision to sell the controversial T-shirts. As a strong believer in the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms, Trump Jr. took to Twitter and stated:
“The media is in full-on panic mode to protect Baldwin from any criticism because they agree with his politics. If the shoe were on the other foot, Baldwin would be the first guy out there pissing on anyone involved, and the media would be joining him.”
Baldwin, on the other hand, described the incident as a “tragic accident” and expressed his shock and sadness over the loss of life. In a tweet, he wrote:
“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother, and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
