Outcry erupts after Trump reportedly calls pets ‘low class’ and the Pences ‘yokels’
President Donald Trump was reportedly angered when Vice President Mike Pence and his family moved their pets into their federal residence.
He called it “low class,” according to an adviser quoted in The Atlantic, when Pence decided to bring two cats, a rabbit and a snake into the Naval Observatory, where the Pences live.
Trump ridiculed the move to his secretary, The Atlantic reported.
“He was embarrassed by it; he thought it was so low class. He thinks the Pences are yokels.”
Pence tweeted in January, thanking the U.S. Air Force for giving his family and his pets a lift.
Thanks to @usairforce for a great flight to Washington, DC with Karen, Charlotte, Oreo, Pickle and our rabbit, Marlon Bundo. pic.twitter.com/zKzZYcI9OE
— Mike Pence (@mike_pence) January 9, 2017
Trump is the first president in 150 years to move into the White House without a pet, the New York Post reported.
Around the same time the Pence family was moving in their animals last January, the family bunny, Marlon Bundo, got its own Instagram account.
He goes by BOTUS, or, apparently, Bunny of the United States.
“The Second Family’s pet rabbit, better known to the world as BOTUS,” the bunny’s Instagram bio reads.
Bundo the bunny has made 78 posts and has more than 16,000 followers. Accompanying its posts are wholesome captions, such as this one:
“I love my family so much — especially when they accidentally wear red, white, and blue! It happens a lot! #nationalpetday.”
In an unfortunate development, Karen Pence, Mike Pence’s wife, tweeted Thursday that one of the family’s cats had died.
“We will all miss Pickle, our very chatty, sweet kitty of 16 years,” she wrote.
We will all miss Pickle, our very chatty, sweet kitty of 16 years. pic.twitter.com/X4xx8nH6vN
— Karen Pence (@SecondLady) December 7, 2017
Trump, a documented germaphobe, has called shaking hands “barbaric,” according to the Washington Post.
Shaking hands with his VP after he had handled Bundo and the family’s other pets might have been weighing on Trump when he reportedly made the comments.
Twitter reaction to Trump has been mixed.
Says the guy who eats ketchup on his well done steaks RT @thehill: Trump thought it was "low class" for Pence to bring pets to VP residence: report https://t.co/NclC9oMOaK pic.twitter.com/YUOf6YL2Xx
— Supreme Leader Smoke (@SKtheGawd) December 6, 2017
Trump hstes pets. RT @RonaldKlain: Sure, @realDonaldTrump has insulted almost every sort of human that there is, but now he's gone too far: He said that pet owning is low class. That's all you need to know about him.... https://t.co/Gj7mZVyQhH
— Bea Spectrum (@SpectrumBea) December 6, 2017
Trump doesn’t like dogs. Or cats.
— Pat Bagley (@Patbagley) December 6, 2017
Thinks they’re vermin.
That’s pretty much all you need to know about @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/Mqz2nAm4qA
LOW CLASS TO OWN PETS YOU ARE A DEMON https://t.co/8if5a5qlGN
— AlyssaMastromonaco (@AlyssaMastro44) December 6, 2017
This is the only good thing I’ve heard about Pence - that he has pets
— Illinois Girl (@azrev) December 6, 2017
Can we come together now as a nation and agree this is too far? Anyone who doesn’t like pets you know is insane. https://t.co/DZRgLQ9BVl
— Asscat (@theasscat) December 6, 2017
We are going to hear more & more Trump vs Pence stories now that we have heard that Pence considered stepping in after the Access Hollywood tapes. Trump's people will be planting stories to discredit Pence in any way possible. Great fun to sit back & watch them go at each other.
— texastkc (@beganwstaubach) December 6, 2017
I thought it was kind of "low class" to put Pence in the @VP residence.
— No Way (@gamerdave69) December 6, 2017
interesting how this comes out after reports Pence considered a coup after the Access Hollywood tapes came out. #Trump better be careful Pence is the reason why he is there. They would much rather a more predictable Pence @Potus.
— Leg. DuWayne Gregory (@DuWayneGregory) December 6, 2017
"Low class" journalism. What next - Trump doesn't use the right toothpaste?
— antoinette@eatcake (@antoinette2645) December 6, 2017
Not a nice thing to say about Mother & family.
— Donna (@Uofm77) December 6, 2017
Max Londberg: 816-234-4378, @MaxLondberg
This story was originally published December 7, 2017 at 10:27 AM with the headline "Outcry erupts after Trump reportedly calls pets ‘low class’ and the Pences ‘yokels’."