New polemic against ‘leftwing hate’ has topped US book chart, but there are indications its success was fed by bulk purchases

More than 30 years ago, Donald Trump is reported to have ordered key staff to buy thousands of copies of The Art of the Deal to make it seem more popular than it was. Now his eldest son Donald Trump Junior has been accused of doing the same thing for his diatribe Triggered, after the New York Times bestseller list revealed its sales had been boosted by bulk purchases.

Published on 5 November and dedicated by Trump Jr to “the deplorables”, Triggered topped the NYT’s non-fiction chart this week. But the newspaper has added a dagger beside the book to indicate that “some retailers report receiving bulk orders”.

Earlier this month, reporters pointed out that the Republican National Committee was emailing supporters urging them to contribute funds in exchange for a signed copy of Triggered, which is subtitled How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us.

But the RNC has denied making bulk purchases, telling press that it was “ordering copies to keep up with demand”. The author himself has urged readers to order “a copy now for yourself and send one to your favourite liberal snowflake!” because “what could trigger liberals more than having Triggered become a bestseller?”

The suggestion that his sales had been artificially boosted has enraged Trump Jr, who took another leaf from his father’s book by heading to Twitter. He retweeted the Republican strategist Andrew Surabian’s claim that “Don did multiple book signings where he sold 1,000+ books apiece. BookScan data will show he sold more books than the #2 and #3 books combined. Media/Dems want to pretend otherwise, but he was #1 on merit.” He also tweeted at actor Whoopi Goldberg, thanking her for “hating on me and KG [his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle] so much, it got me to #1 NYT best seller”, a reference to his recent appearance on Goldberg’s panel show The View.

His publisher, Hachette imprint Center Street, told Page Six that it didn’t “have knowledge of third-party book purchases, adding that Trump Jr had taken part in “nearly 20 book signings in nine states. Most of the locations sold out of the books … The demand was overwhelming.”

Last Sunday, Trump Jr walked out of a launch event for Triggered after being heckled by supporters over his refusal to answer audience questions. His book was described by the Guardian as “a high-pitched rant against American liberals who he accuses of turning the country into a socialist monument to political correctness”.