Taste the rainbow: Donald Trump, Jr. compares refugees to poison Skittles, Twitter reacts
A tweet from Donald Trump, Jr. reads, “If I had a bowl of skittles [sic] and I told you just three would kill you. Would you take a handful? That’s our Syrian refugee problem.” This earned strong reactions from all political sides on Twitter.
This image says it all. Let's end the politically correct agenda that doesn't put America first. #trump2016pic.twitter.com/9fHwog7ssN
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 19, 2016
With only 50 days left to the election, it doesn’t take much to churn up the fury of the internet. But who knew that Skittles would be so divisive? The son of Trump shared a grammatically incorrect tweet comparing Syrian refugees to corn syrup-based candy. Many on Twitter found this to be at best problematic and at worst, racist and dehumanizing.
Skittles, taste the rainbow and yell at it to go back to where it came from. https://t.co/PYlU4BB8p1
— Ariel Elias (@ArielSElias) September 20, 2016
Skittle. pic.twitter.com/TXjqcVMhLH
— emily nussbaum (@emilynussbaum) September 20, 2016
Refugee crisis is biggest ongoing humanitarian disaster, caused in large part by US. To trivialise them as Skittles is unbelievably vile.
— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) September 20, 2016
Maybe don't make a Skittles metaphor when your followers are only one color.
— Chase Mitchell (@ChaseMit) September 20, 2016
Skittles. pic.twitter.com/sh2o58lIhT
— Nish Weiseth (@NishWeiseth) September 20, 2016
This image says it all. In 1939 900 Jews on ship fm Nazi Germany to USA were sent back. 25% died in Holocaust. Not skittles @DonaldJTrumpJrpic.twitter.com/vbvQMFYquF
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) September 20, 2016
Meanwhile, conservative voices on Twitter found nothing wrong with the tweet, but instead took issue with the response from liberals.
What if that whole bowl of skittles was commanded by Allah to kill you?
— Jared Wyand (@JaredWyand) September 20, 2016
What if liberals read a Quran before insisting you eat it? pic.twitter.com/wwLQQSk15f
There are ppl in the skittles tag trying to shame @DonaldJTrumpJr w/ pics of bombed Syrians. Do they know obama's the one who bombed them? 🙄
— Deplorable Jayne (@JaynePenelope) September 20, 2016
@LightskinJesuSP@DonaldJTrumpJr >libtards are more upset about a Twitter post then NYC and NJ bombings pic.twitter.com/K6K0T1NzF0
— Admiral Alexander2-0 (@NotSeriousSlav) September 20, 2016
Skittles is a perfect analogy. Facts don't care about your sad safe space feelings. #MAGApic.twitter.com/9N8RVJUNFI
— DEPLORABLE-MAGS (@magnifier661) September 20, 2016
Liberals are more upset about Skittles than this weekend's terrorist attack in NYC and NJ. We're truly living in an Idiocracy.
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) September 20, 2016
Radical Islamic attacks on Americans in NY,NJ & Michigan,liberals upset &Tweeting about a Skittles comment, really screwed up priorities !
— Deplorable Shasha (@shashanj60) September 20, 2016
Despite the seriousness of the issue, it did not stop Twitter comedians from pointing out the absurdity of it all.
I thought Skittles was the kill-unarmed-black-kids candy, not the foreigners-are-scary candy.
— Michael Malice (@michaelmalice) September 20, 2016
I mean considering @realDonaldTrump wants to abolish food safety regulations the "3 poisoned skittles per bag" scenario is not so far off
— Alise Morales (@fatlise) September 20, 2016
People aren't Skittles. They can however be Runts, Nerds or SweetTarts.
— Lindsay Goldwert (@lindsaygoldwert) September 20, 2016
I heard that M&M’s were originally approached to be in that meme, but they said no. #Skittles
— Paul F. Tompkins (@PFTompkins) September 20, 2016
TRUMP JR: So I give you a bowl of Skittles.
— Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) September 20, 2016
ME: [eats them all]
TRUMP JR: ...I was setting up an analogy
ME: MORE SKITTLES, WEALTHY VAMPIRE
A moment of silence for the poor @Skittles social media intern stuck in the aftermath of Trump idiocy.
— Exorcising Emily (@exorcisingemily) September 20, 2016
You hang in there Skittlesperson.
"I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." —Marshawn Lynch a.k.a. Beast "of Revelation" Mode pic.twitter.com/989rgxKiKB
— Seria Mau Genlicher (@kshipwhitecat) September 20, 2016
