President Donald Trump has called The New York Times “fake news,” “biased,” “inaccurate,” and “a Fraud” with “Zero Credibility.”

But Wednesday night he was only too happy to cite the “failing” paper of record to brag that Donald Trump, Jr.’s new book, “Triggered,”  is at the top of the Times’ charts.

Wow! Was just told that my son’s book, “Triggered,” is Number One on The New York Times Bestseller List. Congratulations Don!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 14, 2019

And while that may be true, there’s one large caveat that totally destroys the Trump family’s pride.

As this graphic shows, there’s a “dagger” next to Trump Jr.’s book: †.

As the Times notes, “bulk purchases appear with a dagger (†).”

That means there have been large “Institutional, special interest, group or bulk purchases” of the book, perhaps in this case by the RNC or other political entities, like the Trump campaign.

In fact, Popular Information and ThinkProgress founder Judd Legum last week reported the Trump campaign is “using campaign funds to bulk purchase his son’s book.”

NEW: Trump using campaign funds to bulk purchase his son’s book https://t.co/McdhDJ8ymn

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) November 5, 2019

Here’s the reported text of a Trump fundraising email from the Twitter account Trump Fundraising Emails:

“Contribute $50 or more TODAY to claim your HAND-SIGNED copy of my new book TRIGGERED. >>

(Graphic)

CONTRIBUTE $250

CONTRIBUTE $100

CONTRIBUTE $75

CONTRIBUTE $50

CONTRIBUTE ANY AMOUNT”

— Trump Fundraising Emails (@TrumpEmail) November 6, 2019

The email is signed by Donald Trump, Jr.

Here’s how some are responding:

The @GOP is gonna have one hell of a bonfire with all the copies of Don Jr.'s book they just bought in bulk.

— Jeremy Newberger (@jeremynewberger) November 14, 2019

Helps when RNC & Trump Campaign buy the book in bulk: using donor money to line Trump Family wallet and ego. Just another grift!

— David Rothschild (@DavMicRot) November 14, 2019

Dirty book: Bulk buys from RNC and other pro-Trump orgs lifted Don Jr’s ‘Tiggered’ to top of best seller list. h/t @MrDanZak https://t.co/sJGkFxqFE9

— Jeff Stein (@SpyTalker) November 14, 2019

Bulk-purchasing your kid's book (a fact confirmed by a special notation the NYT put beside the book) because you think it'd reflect poorly on you if it failed to make the NYT bestseller list, and then typing "wow!" when it does, is the very *pinnacle* of pathetic @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/tp070KCT0y

— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) November 14, 2019

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