On Thursday evening, as a government shutdown trudged toward its 20th day, Donald Trump Jr. retweeted a doctored video depicting CNN reporter Jim Acosta getting run over by a golf cart.
The video came hours after Acosta reported that there was nothing resembling a migrant crisis that would justify Donald Trump declaring a national emergency to build a border wall, as the administration is reportedly preparing to do — at least not from where Acosta was standing in McAllen, Texas.
“As a matter of fact, it’s pretty tranquil down here,” Acosta said, after he walked along a border fence there and patted a row of steel slats. In another video, the CNN reporter said residents there felt “quite safe,” despite migrants occasionally coming through a portion of the border marked with a chain-link fence.
This prompted the president, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders and Trump Jr. to pile on Acosta, saying that he proved, in their estimation, that “WALLS WORK.”
When I went with President @realDonaldTrump [1] to the border today I never imagined @Acosta [2] would be there doing our job for us and so clearly explaining why WALLS WORK. Thanks Jim! https://t.co/7wC4rdEsZ2 [3]
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) January 10, 2019 [4]
Sanders glibly thanked Acosta for “doing our job for us.” Trump Jr. called it “one of the best self-own videos ever!!!”
Of course you don’t Jim. That’s because walls work. Thanks for your help proving @realDonaldTrump [1]’s point and simultaneously creating one of the best self-own videos ever!!! https://t.co/QVXsJTwFh8 [5]
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 10, 2019 [6]
It escalated from there, with Trump Jr. and Acosta trading a series of online jabs that included the diminutive nickname “Jimbo” and at least two deployments of the dismissive hashtag #ByeBye.
Totally get it Don. Thanks for setting me straight. So you’re headed down to Mexico to pick up the check? #buhbye [7] https://t.co/SnGH04gTL6 [8]
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 11, 2019 [9]
The spat ended with a meme — specifically, with Trump Jr. retweeting someone named Arthur Schwartz, who wrote, “Spotted: Jim Acosta playing golf earlier today.”
The tweet included an altered video of a golfer with “CNN” superimposed on his head and an image of “Trump” driving a golf cart with what looks like a “Hillary for Prison” bumper sticker affixed to it. As the golfer readies to take a swing, “Trump” plows the vehicle into him and knocks him down.
Spotted: Jim Acosta playing golf earlier today. pic.twitter.com/fi0nubIS2I [10]
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) January 11, 2019 [11]
“Go home to mommy!” Trump’s voice can be heard saying in the video, apparently borrowing from an audio clip in which Trump mocked a protester at one of his 2016 campaign rallies. “Bye! Go home to mommy!”
Twitter was pretty disgusted:
Weeks ago, a deranged MAGA extremist, clearly inspired by Trump’s tweets, mailed two pipe bombs to CNN. Today, Trump’s son promoted a meme on Twitter of a specific CNN reporter, @Acosta [2], being violently run over by a golf cart. This garbage endangers the lives of journalists.
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) January 11, 2019 [12]
Donald Trump Jr tweeted a video yesterday of Jim Acosta being murdered – a clear call to violence. Why hasn’t he been arrested yet?
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) January 11, 2019 [13]
Does Jr. have the mental capacity to understand right from wrong?
— Barista77 (@Barista771) January 11, 2019 [14]
Donald Trump Jr. is just as classless as his father. He and Trump find advocating violence to be acceptable. A study just showed that states that voted for Trump have seen a rise in bullying in schools. This is why. https://t.co/5LFOkrB1nf [15]
— Mary Newell Pape (@marynpape) January 11, 2019 [16]
The president and his family personally attacking @Acosta [2] is really dangerous not just crazy.
— Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) January 11, 2019 [17]
Joking about running over @Acosta [2] with a golf cart isn't funny. Threats against journalists aren't funny. Sad to see so many people retweeting this trash. https://t.co/q4VtQPA5yj [18]
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) January 11, 2019 [19]