President Donald Trump’s tenure in office marks the first time in history that the most powerful figure in the world has ruled via social media. But the leader isn’t alone in his Twitter addiction. Just about every member of his family and most of his administration uses the platform.
Unfortunately, like the president, many people in Trump’s orbit aren’t savvy Twitter users. It’s rare for any of them (or, for that matter, any literate human) to send off as many typo-ridden messages as the president; instead, their faults are evident in the tweets that they “like” or “favorite.” Often, these tweets directly contradict the talking points of the administration.
The most brazen collector of boneheaded “likes” is Kellyanne Conway, who tweets under the handle @KellyannePolls. And Kellyanne has a lot of tallies; most recently, on June 20, she liked a tweet from Mika Brzezinski that read “You will forever be remembered as the president who traumatized children and only pulled back when the publicity turned sour.” In the summer of 2016 (just before she joined the Trump campaign), she was the sole person to like this tweet, which praised her for being #NeverTrump.
https://twitter.com/JulianLotter/status/728048384964231169
Conway also has an anti-Trump instigator in her family—her husband often mocks Trump on Twitter.
These tweets may make some ppl feel better, but they certainly won't help OSG get 5 votes in SCOTUS, which is what actually matters. Sad. https://t.co/zVhcyfm8Hr
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) June 5, 2017
Brad Parscale is one of the least discussed members of Trump’s inner circle—he’s currently the campaign manager for Trump’s 2020 reelection effort—but in February, he liked a tweet that was critical of the president. The tweet, which has since been deleted, read simply “idiot” and was a response to one of the president’s tweets pushing back on the notion that his campaign colluded with Russia.
Within his family, President Trump seems to have plenty of occasional dissenters. Or at least, they’re prone to the same slip-of-the-finger “likes” as the members of his administration.
In early May, Melania Trump grabbed headlines when she “liked” a tweet lambasting her marriage, saying that the only wall President Trump has erected is one between him and his wife. However, in a statement to the Daily Dot at the time, The East Wing denied that the first lady was behind the action. In March, she also liked a tweet critical of her; one that questioned why she was qualified for her visa status.
The first boys have also “liked” plenty of tweets that raise eyebrows. In April, Eric Trump liked a tweet praising comedian Michelle Wolff’s roast of Sarah Sanders. But, as usual, Don Jr. is the real winner in the family, with a handful of bizarre likes. In December of 2017, he “liked” a tweet about anal bleaching—a procedure that is exactly what it sounds like.
In the wake of the Parkland shooting, he liked this tweet promoting the conspiracy theory that survivor David Hogg was a tool of the deep state.
VIDEO: Outspoken Trump-Hating School Shooting Survivor is Son of FBI Agent; MSM Helps Prop Up Incompetent Bureau https://t.co/AYCNLlXJqx
— Thomas Paine (@Thomas1774Paine) February 20, 2018
While almost all of the “likes” we’ve listed thus far have quietly been reversed, Don Jr. still hasn’t “unliked” this post.
And finally, in early May, the president’s eldest son liked a tweet lampooning his father.
DonaldJTrumpJr liked this tweet: https://t.co/icSUZ2neKU
— Trump Alert (@TrumpsAlert) May 10, 2018
But the most recent renegade “like” came from Ivanka Trump, who liked a tweet from pornstar Tommy Pistol and the message in that one was clearly obvious. He wrote “I don’t support Trump in any way.”
Even the president has hit the wrong button on occasion—like the instance in September of 2017 when he liked this tweet declaring that he’s “just not presidential material.”
please, after several typo's, he's just not Presidential material
— s🌊lyn🌊 (@sheba418) September 1, 2017
At the end of the day, it’s hard to interpret the inadvertent “likes” as anything more treasonous to Trump than a careless click of the mouse or tap of the thumb. But when millions of people are watching your Twitter feed, you might want to be a bit more careful what you’re endorsing. Even if you’re only doing it accidentally.