Sep 1, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Donald Trump Jr. wants to use his social media power to disrupt publishing

Mike Allen

Donald Trump Jr., out Tuesday with "Liberal Privilege: Joe Biden and the Democrats' Defense of the Indefensible," told Axios he self-published because his massive social channels — 5.5 million Twitter followers, 3.4 million Instagram followers — give him a distribution edge that allows him to keep full control and profits.

Why it matters: "You're not beholden to someone else," Trump said from New York after signing 100 copies at Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue. "I'm actually probably at an advantage."

He estimated that about 75% of his bestseller "Triggered" moved online.

As for Don Jr.'s presidential fortunes, Jason Zengerle reported in the New York Times Magazine two weekends ago that the son told comedian Jim Norton on a radio show in February:

"It’s sort of cool if you’re at a stadium of 15,000 people and they start chanting '46' when you’re speaking ... I don’t know that I’d like the day job, and that’s a big part of it," Trump Jr. said.

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Donald Trump Jr. wants to use his social media power to disrupt publishing

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