On Monday, all internet hell broke loose when Donald Trump Jr. decided to copy a white supremacist meme and compare Syrian refugees to poisonous Skittles. The Skittles Twitter account replied in a relatively classy fashion by pointing out the the analogy is flawed (because people aren’t candy), and they managed to evade taking a political side, partly because the meme was just that ridiculous. Still, it was an example of a brand dispensing with potentially bad publicity headed their way.
Before long, the man who took the Skittles photo, David Kittos, revealed that he is a refugee. He admitted to wanting an apology while knowing that one wouldn’t be coming his way, and that sentiment turned out to be correct. The Trump-Pence campaign issued a statement to endorse Donald Jr.’s meme because they believe it might make America safe again:
Don Jr. has been a tremendous asset to the campaign.
America has become less safe under Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and Clinton’s planned 550% increase in Syrian refugees is a dangerous proposal that will put American lives at risk. Speaking the truth might upset those who would rather be politically correct than safe, but the American people want a change, and only Donald Trump will do what’s necessary to protect us.”
So, the Trump campaign isn’t handing out a “sorry” or not even a “sorry, not sorry” here. They’re sticking with the sentiment, but it bears mentioning that Polifact has rated the above statistic “half-true.” The 550 percent figure is true, but Polifact also states, “To say that there’s no way to screen them to find out who they are or where they come from ignores the extensive screening they undergo.” Also, we’re talking about Skittles in a presidential election. Amazing.
