Prominent Republicans have been in a tizzy this week, not because of the pandemic that's killed over 500 thousand Americans or the continued economic instability it's foisted on millions more.
The topic of outrage among conservative circles is Dr. Seuss.
Read Across America Day happens to fall on Seuss's birthday, March 2. In his Read Across America address, President Joe Biden didn't mention the popular children's author—a break with the relatively new tradition that started under former President Barack Obama.
Conservatives accused Biden of erasing Seuss's legacy. Their outrage only grew when the business in charge of Seuss's legacy announced it would be pulling six of his books from further publication due to racist caricatures and content.
According to Vox reporter Aaron Rupar, Fox News spent days on the manufactured controversy and Republicans across the country began proclaiming their support for Seuss in the face of his imagined cancellation.
Among them was Donald Trump Jr., the son of former President Donald Trump, who posted a picture of him with his child, holding an edition of Cat in the Hat, one of Seuss's most popular books.
But the way Trump Jr. was holding the book caught some attention.
Don Jr. was obscuring a starburst of text, which an eagle-eyed internet denizen soon uncovered.
Is...Donald Trump, Jr. holding this copy of "The Cat and the Hat" so weirdly because he felt the need hide that he… https://t.co/sKGDjTl5lU— Andrew Rose Gregory (@Andrew Rose Gregory) 1614800463.0
All details indicate that Trump Jr. was covering a note that the edition was in English and Spanish.
Sadly, this tracks, since Trump Jr.'s father ran a campaign on demonizing immigrants from Hispanic countries, characterizing them as murderers and rapists. His administration all too eagerly carried this demonization out through policy, prompting Trump's supporters to despise the so-called "invasion" of the United States by Spanish-speaking immigrants.
People were pretty sure Trump Jr. went out of the way to conceal that his copy was the bilingual edition.
That guilty smile says it all. Yep. https://t.co/Xa85PsKQey— Steven🔪Lucas🔥Chef (@Steven🔪Lucas🔥Chef) 1614808939.0
Most likely, yes. https://t.co/d1WR2hzT9U— Wanda Fischer (@Wanda Fischer) 1614806097.0
Absolutely he is. https://t.co/5ZsIP1U5Gh— DJT is DONE (@DJT is DONE) 1614809015.0
Yep.... we know that book... https://t.co/l1Gq8zbLap— Itz Mz Chriz 🪡🇺🇸 (@Itz Mz Chriz 🪡🇺🇸) 1614805160.0
Of course he is... https://t.co/AJ9A8u6Lt8— Darren Chandler (@Darren Chandler) 1614809382.0
Twitter users immediately proceeded to roast him.
Alexa, what’s virtue signaling but ... without virtue? https://t.co/tzxTxcMo52— John David Blakley (@John David Blakley) 1614808334.0
Esse pessoal é burro assim??? O cara está apenas segurando o livro aquieta esse rabo chato.kkkkkk https://t.co/7IpKTTZB6Q— Mary Janes💜🦊 (@Mary Janes💜🦊) 1614808935.0
Doesn't want to disappoint his dad more than he already has. https://t.co/BwZMkdmg7c— Liam Jay (@Liam Jay) 1614803365.0
I assume the kid is reading to him each night https://t.co/ylCQiLfWj0— David Mack (@David Mack) 1614807942.0
Donald Trump Jr. continues to rail against Seuss's imaginary cancellation on his social media accounts.