Trump Jr. posts photo of himself with alt-right symbol

Son of GOP nominee publishes on Instagram a spoof movie poster that shows Pepe the frog alongside himself, his father, Pence and Giuliani

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump Jr. on Sunday published on Instagram a parody movie poster showing himself and others connected to the Republican presidential campaign alongside a cartoon frog that has become a popular symbol for white supremacists.

“Apparently I made the cut as one of ‘the Deplorables,’” Trump Jr. said of the image, which featured himself, his father, Republican nominee Donald Trump, and Pepe the Frog grouped together in a parody of a poster for the action movie series “The Expendables.”

The “deplorables” reference alludes to remarks made last week by Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who divided Trump supporters into what she said were “deplorables” — meaning bigots — and hard-working Americans who had difficulties advancing in the economy.

Pepe is a cartoon frog that has been ubiquitous on the internet over the last decade, but who in the last year or so has become popular as the flag-bearer of the alt-right, which advances an insular conservatism favoring white people.

“All kidding aside I am honored to be grouped with the hard working men and women of this great nation that have supported @realdonaldtrump and know that he can fix the mess created by politicians in Washington,” Trump Jr. said.

Also featured in the picture were others close to the Trump campaign, including vice presidential candidate Mike Pence, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Eric Trump, the nominee’s younger son.

Donald Trump Jr. speaking on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, July 19, 2016. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

In the picture, too, are Alex Jones, the talk radio host and conspiracy theorist, and Milo Yiannopoulos, a writer banned from Twitter for online harassment, who has celebrated the rise of the alt-right as it has attached itself to Trump’s candidacy, despite the nominee’s occasional expressions rejecting the movement.

The picture’s provenance is not clear.

Trump Jr. and his father have been criticized during the campaign for adopting themes and associating with individuals known on the alt-right. Last month, Trump Jr. retweeted an attack on Clinton by Kevin MacDonald, a psychologist notorious for his theories of Jewish manipulation and control. The tweet itself was unremarkable and did not refer to Jews.