Donald Trump Jr. was among those supporting Roseanne Barr’s conspiracy theories on Twitter on Tuesday before they got her show cancelled.
The Roseanne reboot was cancelled on Tuesday after Barr spent the early hours of the morning spreading conspiracy theories on Twitter. One of those was the now-debunked story that activist George Soros collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. At the height of her fervor, Donald Trump Jr. retweeted one of her most inflammatory tweets.
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Bar began by tweeting “Chelsea Soros Clinton,” as part of her unfounded claim that Clinton was married to one of Soros’ nephews.
“Good morning Roseanne – my given middle name is Victoria,” Clinton replied. “I imagine George Soros’s nephews are lovely people. I’m just not married to one. I am grateful for the important work @OpenSociety does in the world. Have a great day!”
“Sorry to have tweeted incorrect info about you!” Barr responded. “Please forgive me! By the way, George Soros is a nazi who turned in his fellow Jews 2 be murdered in German concentration camps & stole their wealth-were you aware of that? But, we all make mistakes, right Chelsea?”
The tweet was widely condemned for spreading libelous misinformation. According to a 2016 report by Snopes, the theory has been thoroughly disproved, not least of all because Soros was a toddler during WWII. However, Trump Jr. still retweeted it, along with another on the same topic.
“Soros’ goal; the overthrow of us constitutional republic by buying/backing candidates 4 local district attorney races who will ignore US law & favor ‘feelings’ instead-and call everyone who is alarmed by that ‘racist,’” Barr wrote on Monday night. Trump Jr. did not undo his retweet of the posts even after Barr was swallowed up in a sea of controversy.
Here is the President’s son retweeting Roseanne Barr’s *debunked conspiracy theory about George Soros and Nazis.
*Soros was 2 when Dachau opened. pic.twitter.com/jWaKbLKWFR
— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) May 29, 2018
The tweet that truly ended the Roseanne reboot came later in the morning. Barr responded to another Twitter user espousing a conspiracy theory that Valerie Jarrett had helped cover up alleged crimes for the Obama administration.
“Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj,” Barr wrote, using Jarrett’s initials. Ultimately, the tweet led to the end of show. Later on in the morning, ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey announced that the Roseanne reboot was officially cancelled.
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” read Dungey’s brief statement.
Barr posted apologies for the tweet, writing: “I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter.”
“I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans.,” she added later. “I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me-my joke was in bad taste.”
Former Fox News anchor Eric Bolling retweeted the apology, adding: “No apology necessary at all @therealroseanne. And please don’t leave. Unless it’s just for a few minutes!!” Bolling has since deleted the post.
Valerie Jarrett, who was at the center of the controversy, worked in the Obama administration, from 2009 to 2017. She was the Director of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs. She was born to American parents in Shiraz, Iran, where her father ran a children’s hospital. She and her family moved back to the United States when she was seven years old.
