As tributes poured in from around the world in remembrance of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins – who was fatally shot by mistake on set by Alec Baldwin with a prop gun – Donald Trump Jr. gleefully took to Instagram to ridicule the actor.
The 43-year-old, who has five children, began sharing the posts about 24 hours after Thursday’s tragic film set incident in New Mexico.
Baldwin has been a target of conservative ire due in part to his mocking portrayal of former President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live (SNL).
He has also opposed the National Rifle Association and some have used Thursday’s tragedy to settle scores with Baldwin, without actually mentioning its victim.
GOP Colorado representative, Lauren Boebert, a prominent gun rights activist, shared a screengrab of a 2014 tweet by Baldwin.
It said, “I’m going to make bright, yellow banana yellow t-shirts that read ‘my hands are up. Please don’t shoot me.’ Who wants one?”
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Boebert shared the tweet, adding the message, “@AlecBaldwin are these still available? Asking for a movie producer…”
After it sparked a thread in which many criticized Boebert for trivializing a death, the freshman lawmaker whose Twitter avatar depicts her holding a gun, doubled down on her criticism.
.@AlecBaldwin are these still available?
Asking for a movie producer… pic.twitter.com/AeE5VHLhqN
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) October 22, 2021
I hope reporters are reviewing the social media posts of the shooter.
Every angle of this tragedy must be investigated.
His mental state, his lack of safety training, his history with women – we must be thorough in reviewing this needless killing. https://t.co/DDmqFsRhYN
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) October 22, 2021
I do believe we summon energy with our words and thoughts and it’s why I try to measure my own.
Hollywood’s treatment of conservatives and disdain for people – that can’t be overlooked as a cause, on a spiritual level, of the Alec Baldwin incident. Hatred summons hatred.
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) October 22, 2021
“I said what (I) said. You crazy Blue Checks want to take away our right to defend ourselves with a firearm, and know NOTHING about basic gun safety!” she tweeted, adding, “Alec’s careless and ignorant actions KILLED a woman.
“If this was a conservative celebrity you’d be calling for his head..” she added.
Right-wing political operative Richard Grenell tweeted: “I hope reporters are reviewing the social media posts of the shooter. Every angle of this tragedy must be investigated.
“His mental state, his lack of safety training, his history with women— we must be thorough in reviewing this needless killing.”
This was retweeted by Donald Trump Jr, who also shared a tweet by alt-right commentator Mike Cernovich. He wrote that Baldwin “should be afforded all of the due process he would give others. Read some of his tweets. Then get back to me.”
In another tweet, Cernovich said: “Hollywood’s treatment of conservatives and disdain for people – that can’t be overlooked as a cause, on a spiritual level, of the Alec Baldwin incident. Hatred summons hatred.”
Meanwhile, Bloomberg Opinion writer Eli Lake mocked the incident, tweeting: “SNL should hire Trump to play Alec Baldwin this week.”
Production on the movie has been halted as an investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office continues.
“This investigation remains open and active,” Santa Fe County Sheriff’s spokesperson Juan Rios said in a statement. “No charges have been filed in regard to this incident.”
Republicans rush to mock Alec Baldwin in wake of tragic film set accident
“Let Trump back on,” Ohio Senate hopeful J.D. Vance wrote. “We need Alec Baldwin tweets”
Less than 24 hours after a tragic New Mexico film set accident involving Alec Baldwin claimed the life of a cinematographer and injured the movie’s director, Republicans were already making light of the incident and cracking jokes about Baldwin, a longtime right-wing boogeyman.
The A-lister was reportedly rehearsing for a scene in the western, “Rust,” when he fired a prop gun that was loaded with a “live single round.” The shot killed the film’s 42-year-old director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and injured director Joel Souza, 48, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 44 said in an email to its members.
Just hours after news of the incident broke, Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance was already online and gloating about the situation.
“Dear @jack,” he wrote, tagging Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. “Let Trump back on. We need Alec Baldwin tweets.”
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The message was not received well, and drew criticism from Vance’s prospective Democratic opponent, Tim Ryan, who replied: “Someone died, you assh*le.”
But he wasn’t the only one deriding Baldwin in the wake of the tragedy — conservative commentator Candace Owens added in a since-deleted Tweet that “what has happened to Alec would be poetic justice if it weren’t for the actual innocent people that were murdered by him.”
She later added: “Will correct that last tweet to say Alec Baldwin *killed* someone— not murdered someone, as murder carries a different legal definition.”
A number of other pundits and right-wing personalities also jumped on a tweet of Baldwin’s from the first round of Black Lives Matter protests, in 2014, which read: “I’m going to make bright, banana-yellow T-shirts that read: “My hands are up. Please don’t shoot me.” Who wants one?”
Even Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., got in on the action, posting a screenshot of Baldwin’s tweet with the caption: “@AlecBaldwin are these still available? Asking for a movie producer…”
The comments horrified a number of Twitter users, who flooded the Congresswoman’s replies with admonitions.
“Have you no shame? Remove this tweet. It’s utterly disrespectful to the victim & her family,” one person wrote.
“I’m sorry you are so broken inside,” another added.
Baldwin released his first statement Friday since the incident occurred, saying the he was cooperating with authorities and that he has spoken with Hutchins’ family.
“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours,” he tweeted.
“I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”