Donald Trump Jr. debuts at No. 1 on the bestseller list — but there's a catch
The New York Times' bestseller list is not exactly as it appears.
Yes, Donald Trump Jr., the president's son and self-proclaimed "general in the meme wars," saw his book Triggered debut at No. 1 on The New York Times' bestseller list on Wednesday evening. But that's likely in part because some bulk orders of the book helped him seal the deal.
The bestseller list through Nov. 24 debuted Wednesday, putting Trump Jr's book on "How the left thrives on hate and wants to silence us" at the top of the list. Yet next to that title, there's a little dagger mark. It indicates "institutional, special interest, group or bulk purchases," which the list takes into account when formulating its rankings, the Times explains. Essentially, there's a strong chance Trump Jr.'s camp organized some big orders to get his book the best billing.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Regardless of the possibly rigged ranking, Trump Jr. got what he likely wanted out of the top spot: a congratulatory tweet from his father. After all, he was just copying the bulk-buying method President Trump has been perfecting for decades.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Political cartoons for January 3Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include citizen journalists, self-reflective AI, and Donald Trump's transparency
-
Into the Woods: a ‘hypnotic’ productionThe Week Recommends Jordan Fein’s revival of the much-loved Stephen Sondheim musical is ‘sharp, propulsive and often very funny’
-
‘Let 2026 be a year of reckoning’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
TikTok secures deal to remain in USSpeed Read ByteDance will form a US version of the popular video-sharing platform
-
Unemployment rate ticks up amid fall job lossesSpeed Read Data released by the Commerce Department indicates ‘one of the weakest American labor markets in years’
-
Phish food for thought: Ben & Jerry’s political turmoilIn the Spotlight War of words over brand activism threatens to ‘overshadow’ the big ice cream deal
-
What a rising gold price says about the global economyThe Explainer Institutions, central banks and speculators drive record surge amid ‘loss of trust’ in bond markets and US dollar
-
US mints final penny after 232-year runSpeed Read Production of the one-cent coin has ended
-
Argentinian beef is at the center of American farmers’ woesThe Explainer ‘It feels like a slap in the face to rural America,’ said one farmer
-
Will latest Russian sanctions finally break Putin’s resolve?Today's Big Question New restrictions have been described as a ‘punch to the gut of Moscow’s war economy’
-
Warner Bros. explores sale amid Paramount bidsSpeed Read The media giant, home to HBO and DC Studios, has received interest from multiple buying parties
