Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Twitter Can't Stop Mocking Donald Trump Jr. for His Questionable Tweet Going After the Ethics of a Democratic Senator

Twitter Can't Stop Mocking Donald Trump Jr. for His Questionable Tweet Going After the Ethics of a Democratic Senator
BOZEMAN,MT-SEPTEMBER,25: Donald Trump Jr. speaks at a campaign rally in support Montana Senate candidate Matt Rosendale in Bozeman, MT on September 25,2018. Rosendale is running against incumbent Democrat Senator Jon Tester in the 2018 midterm elections. (Photo by William Campbell-Corbis via Getty Images)

Kettle, pot.

Donald Trump Jr. inserted himself into New Jersey's Senate race on Monday, tweeting that a vote against incumbent Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) "seems like a no-brainer."

"NJ has a clear choice," the president's eldest son said on Twitter. "Stick with Menendez who will always be dogged by serious ethics questions, or back GOP challenger, Bob Hugin, a Marine Corps veteran and the former chief of a large and very successful business. Seems like a no-brainer."


While it's true that Menendez has been plagued by ethics complaints, Twitter didn't waste a second calling out Junior on the obvious: if he's so worried about corruption, he should look at his father and the never-ending swamp circus that is his presidency.

Yeesh.

Others pointed out that Junior's endorsement of Hugin, a former Marine and pharmaceutical executive at Celgene, represents a tone-deafness to the rising costs of prescription drugs and healthcare that are burdening ordinary Americans.

Hugin, meanwhile, is releasing airing attack ads accusing Menendez of hiring underage prostitutes during a trip he took to the Dominican Republic.

The rumors first surfaced in 2012 and numerous news outlets, including The Washington Post, investigated the matter and found nothing corroborating.

Hugin is running the spots anyway.

“The Washington Post was wrong,” Hugin’s campaign says on a website. “In 2015, the Obama Justice Department said it had specific, corroborated allegations of Menendez engaging [in] sex acts with minors and that they ‘were not so easily disprovable.’ In fact, the FBI detailed additional allegations that showed Melgen’s ties to women; even his own pilot described ‘young girls’ who ‘looked like escorts.’ The FBI was able to verify young women with financial ties to Melgen as being in Casa de Campo at the same time as Menendez.”

Here again, Hugin offers no proof to substantiate these claims. Hugin has also taken aim at the slew of corruption scandals that nearly ended Menendez's political career.

Menendez cruised to reelection in 2012 with nearly a 20-point margin over his opponent, and even though he wasn't convicted, the trail of scandals are now weighing heavily on him.

Menendez was "admonished" by the Senate Ethics Committee in May for accepting gifts from a Florida ophthalmologist named Salomon Melgen in exchange for boosting his business. His federal corruption trial last year ended in a mistrial and the Department of Justice dropped the charges.

Despite his ethics issues and underwater approval, however, a Monmouth University poll found that "corruption in government" is the second-most important issue for New Jersey voters. The first? Healthcare.

Nevertheless, Menendez has maintained a sizeable lead in the polls in deep-blue New Jersey, which has not sent a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1972.

For his part, Hugin could appeal to disenchanted Democrats who are wary of leaving Mendendez in office. He supports LGBT equality and is pro-choice, but his ties to President Donald Trump may not be something New Jersey voters are willing to look past.

Hugin chaired Trump's 2016 election effort in the Garden State and served as a delegate at the Republican National Convention. In his Senate race, Hugin has tried to distance himself from the president.

"This race is Bob Hugin versus Bob Menendez," he told NBC News in a recent interview. "This is a New Jersey race."

And although Hugin has said he would "stand up to anyone," including Trump, his previous ties to the president could simply prove too toxic.

"At first, the trial and all that came out of it was a factor for me," 72-year-old Newark resident Barbara Tillman, who supports Menendez for a third term, said to NBC News. "No one is perfect. I'd still rather have him than someone who will support the Trump agenda.”

More from People/donald-trump

Country Singer Gavin Adcock went on a drunken rant over Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" success.
Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Country singer rants over Beyoncé album

Country singer Gavin Adcock became the title of his next album, “Own Worst Enemy,” after going on an unhinged rant about the legitimacy of Beyoncé's Grammy-winning and record-breaking Cowboy Carter in the country music genre.

Adcock, whose upcoming album is set for release next month, was filmed during a live performance last weekend, complaining that Beyoncé and her album are not “country music.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Dionne Warwick; Tiny Chef
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images; @ToonHive/X

Dionne Warwick Is Ready To Go To War With Nickelodeon Over 'Tiny Chef' Cancellation

You know your campaign against a show's cancellation is achieving widespread attention when you get people like venerated singer Dionne Warwick advocating for you.

Nickelodeon's The Tiny Chef Show was recently cancelled, much to the dismay of its viewers and creators. It was also a genuinely surprising decision, since the show has won an Emmy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman relaxing in sunhat and sunglasses
Photo by Jordan Bauer on Unsplash

People Explain Which 'Small Luxuries' They Can't Live Without

Many of us have committed to being fairly financially frugal and not overspending on silly, unnecessary things.

That is to say, sometimes, it's fun to splurge on something one time to see what it's like to experience that small luxury.

Keep ReadingShow less
two women in emotional distress seated on couch
Ben White on Unsplash

People Who've Experienced Grief Share The Most Tone-Deaf Things They've Heard

Grief, loss, trauma are all part of life. But for most people, the emotions and reactions that go with them are difficult to witness.

So they rely on platitudes to fill any holes in conversation. That's rarely a good idea.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less