You’re the eldest son of one of the most reviled men in popular culture. You’re violently well-off, love guns, and have far too much free time on your hands. You, my friend, are Donald J. Trump Jr. And on the internet’s many hunting message boards, you have apparently found your home.
Before we explain, let’s recall how back in 2012, the elder Trump sons made headlines after photos of their recent big game hunt in Africa were made public.
PETA got mad, Don Jr. tweeted angrily at eggs, and the whole thing died down for the most part, though the photos themselves turn up any time someone remembers that, oh yeah, the Trump boys killed a fucking leopard. The Trump scion got awfully defensive about his big game trophy outing, though he never did back down from the righteousness of the deed, going so far as to congratulate himself for using his hunting prowess to feed the hungry:
While no similar photos have made appearances since, Donald Trump Jr.’s bloodlust remained as strong ever. His hundreds upon hundreds of online hunting forum posts can attest to that.
Despite the clever and mysterious username, DJTJR (or “Don,” as he’s known to his forum pals) is almost undoubtedly First Son-hopeful Donald Trump Jr. After all, DJTJR is from New York City like Don Jr., has a home out in Westchester like Don Jr., and even went on his own special African hunting trip like Don Jr.:
Then, of course, there are these photos posted by djtjr to the Long Range Hunting forum in August of 2011, in which someone who looks exactly like Donald Trump Jr. poses with the head of Baphomet:
What was Donald Trump Jr. up to in August of 2011?
All of which is to say: Hello, Don Jr. (Both the Trump campaign and Don Jr. himself have yet to respond to multiple requests for comment, but we will update if and when we hear back.)
Our boy isn’t just a casual forum haunt, though. Don Jr.—or someone doing a convincing and thorough impersonation of him—is a registered member of at least 25 different gun, bow, hunting, and fishing enthusiast forums. There’s Speciality Pistols, Brian Enos’s Forums, and Tradgang; Accurate Shooter, go2gbo, Stickbow, Tradtalk, and Archery Talk; Greybeard Outdoors, Long Range Hunting, The Fly Fishing Forum, Handgun Hunter, CastBoolits.Gunloads.com, Sniper’s Hide, and 24hourcampfire; Trout Predator—Trout Predator!—and Predator Masters Forums; Saddle Hunter, TradRag, Saubier, and Crossbow Nation; 1911Forum.com, Shotgun World, The High Road, and Benchrest Central. This list is almost certainly incomplete.
On each one, he identifies himself as either “djtjr” or, less often, “djt.” On Accurate Shooter, however, he bares his full name—I’m fairly confident this was an accident.
The vast majority of these thousands of combined forum postings consists of strictly technical hunting talk—bullets, powder, how to get your young daughter into hunting by buying her a pink rifle. Guy stuff.
Sift through the jargon, though, and you’ll find that there’s quite a bit to learn about little Donny. Like the fact that he is, apparently, a cigar aficionado:
(That spelling of “vise,” by the way, was probably not just a one-off typo.)
You’ll also learn that he owns an insane number of specialty pistols:
And bows:
And that our man is nothing if not a perfectionist:
What’s more, even when he’s not out slaughtering animals in the woods, Don Jr. is still almost certainly packing heat:
If you’ve ever thought to yourself that Don Jr. seems like the kind of guy who actively recreates the opening scene of American Psycho every morning and also probably owns an assault rifle, you’d be at least half right:
These message boards aren’t just for talking shop, though. They’re also a place for enthusiasts to unwind and talk about their “favorite gun-related quotes.” Say, Don Jr., what are your favorite gun-related quotes?
Of course they are.
The boards can get a bit raunchy, too—and Don Jr. loves it:
Although, sometimes, he’d rather indulge in simpler pleasures. Like deer liver pâté:
Don Jr., however, is nothing if not his father’s son. And while Big Don probably wouldn’t back this particular sentiment at the moment ...
... he’d sure as hell agree with this one:
Any final words, Don?
Yes. We know.