On Friday, actor Tom Arnold tweeted a death threat against Donald Trump Jr. Arnold had previously challenged President Donald Trump to a fistfight. Since Arnold has 250,000 followers, Secret Service warned him that this kind of inciting tweet could encourage his followers to engage in real violence. How much more so a bona fide death threat!
Arnold began his attack by tweeting out a picture of Trump Jr. holding the tail of an African elephant he had killed while on safari in 2011. “This is Donald Trump Jr. He is holding the tail of a beautiful African elephant he murdered as she got up from a nap. Donald Trump Jr. is the real piece of garbage,” the actor tweeted.
This is Donald Trump Jr. He is holding the tail of a beautiful African elephant he murdered as she got up from a nap. Donald Trump Jr. is the real piece of garbage. pic.twitter.com/QWYlUrjTPk
— Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) August 2, 2019
Liberal poet Rachel McKibbens attacked the president’s son as a “coward.”
Then Arnold leveled the death threat.
“Looking forward to the day I’m standing over him wearing my bullet belt & safari khakis, my cartoon sized Daniel Boone buck knife in one hand his his [sic] teeny tiny tail in the other..” he tweeted.
Looking forward to the day I’m standing over him wearing my bullet belt & safari khakis, my cartoon sized Daniel Boone buck knife in one hand his his teeny tiny tail in the other..
— Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) August 2, 2019
Depending on the interpretation of “tail,” Arnold may have threatened to castrate Trump Jr., in addition to killing him.
This is far from the first time the actor has made disgusting remarks on Twitter seeming to celebrate violence. Last month, he suggested that the neighbor who sucker-punched Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), breaking ribs and triggering pneumonia, was in the right. He also belittled Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), the decorated former Navy SEAL who lost his eye in combat.
The actor also challenged the president to a fight last year. “I say put up or shut up [Donald Trump] Me vs You. For America. First body slam wins. Any Rally. Any Time. Between now & the midterms,” he tweeted.
I say put up or shut up @realDonaldTrump Me vs You. For America. First body slam wins. Any Rally. Any Time. Between now & the midterms. #FridayFeeling https://t.co/ITthF7dFWc
— Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) October 19, 2018
Following this tweet, Secret Service met with the actor, warning that his tweet reaches such a large audience it could inspire violence against the president.
How much more would a bona fide death threat inspire violence?
Follow Tyler O’Neil, the author of this article, on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
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