'Eric should have told his wife before announcing it on Fox': Twitter users mock Trump's son after he slipped up and said he is 'part of the LGBT community'
Eric Trump has been mercilessly mocked on Twitter after he mistakenly claimed to be 'part of' the LGBT community.
The president's son made the slip during a Fox & Friends appearance on Tuesday, where he was asked about a lesbian New Yorker who supports his father's re-election campaign.
'I'm telling you, I see it every day, the LGBT community, they are incredible and you should see how they've come out in full force for my father every single day,' he said.
'I'm part of that community and we love the man and thank you for protecting our neighborhoods and thank you for protecting our cities.'
Eric was quick to explain his comment after the interview started circulating on social media, insisting that he was simply trying to paraphrase what LGBT supporters have said about his father.
Eric Trump was mercilessly mocked on Twitter after he mistakenly claimed to be 'part of' the LGBT community during a Fox & Friends interview on Tuesday
Eric was quick to affirm that he is not in fact gay or bisexual, referencing his wife Lara Trump and their two children (pictured together)
'To clarify, many of our close friends are part of the LGBT community, which was the intent of my statement — the left has taken that vote for granted for a long time and support from the gay community for my father is incredible,' Eric told the New York Post.
'As to me personally, as I think you know, I am a happily married man to my wife, Lara,' he added in reference to the mother of his two children, who is also one of Donald Trump's top campaign advisers.
Twitter users seized on the slip despite Eric's rapid response, asserting that the 36-year-old didn't seem to know what he was talking about.
'Did Eric Trump just come out as LGBT or did Eric Trump just come out as not knowing what LGBT means?' one man asked.
'Eric Trump saying he's "part of the LGBT" community is like me saying I'm part of the fantasy football community,' another man joked.
'I might think I know what a "tight end" and a "wide receiver" are, but I would be sorely mistaken.'
Political analyst Bill Palmer also chimed in, tweeting: 'I was off the grid for an hour this morning, and Eric Trump mistakenly came out as LGBT. Can't leave these idiots alone for a minute.'
'Gonna be honest, did not have "Eric Trump coming out on debate day" on my bingo card,' political commentator Bryan Tyler Cohen added.
Twitter users seized on the slip despite Eric's rapid response, asserting that the 36-year-old didn't seem to know what he was talking about
Actor and activist George Takei took things a step further, writing: 'Well at least now Eric Trump can claim his father doesn't hate him because he's dumb, he hates him because he's part of the LGBT community.'
Many of the commenters acknowledged that Eric appeared to be paraphrasing a quote from a hypothetical LGBT Trump voter - but that didn't stop them from sounding off.
Eric's remarks were especially poorly received among real members of the LGBT community who said they didn't want his support.
Activist Rob Gill quipped: 'Go away Eric trump we don't want you.'
Journalist Erica Lenti echoed that sentiment, tweeting: 'We, the gay committee, have had an emergency meeting and we have rejected Eric Trump's application.'
Mixed in with the negative reactions were a few positive ones, including from activist Brendan Straka, who is gay.
'Eric Trump is straight, but not narrow. It's not easy being an LGBT conservative, but it helps a lot to have strong allies like @EricTrump,' Straka tweeted.
Eric retweeted Straka's post, writing: 'I am with you 100%! Keep fighting my friend - we appreciate all you do!'
Eric's remarks were especially poorly received among real members of the LGBT community who said they didn't want his support
Eric's slip was part of a Fox & Friends panel discussion regarding a recent New York Times opinion piece by columnist Bret Stephens about a 'secret' Trump voter identified only as 'Chris'.
Stephens described Chris as a 50-something lesbian living in New York City who plans to cast a ballot for the president but is afraid to tell anyone about it.
The column was met with substantial skepticism from readers who speculated that Chris doesn't actually exist, given how few details Stephens offered.
However the hosts of Fox & Friends, one of the president's favorite programs, embraced the account as evidence that there's a large portion of the LGBT community that plans to vote for Trump but doesn't broadcast it.
Eric's slip was part of a Fox & Friends panel discussion regarding a recent New York Times opinion piece by columnist Bret Stephens about a 'secret' Trump voter identified only as 'Chris'
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