Clare O’Neil forced to delete tweet calling Donald Trump Jr ‘big baby’

The PMO has intervened after the Home Affairs Minister mocked the former US President’s eldest son and stamped out suggestions his tour was cancelled due to visa issues.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has been forced to delete a tweet in which she attacked the son of former US President Donald Trump as a “sore loser” and “just a big baby, who isn’t very popular” after the Prime Minister’s Office intervened and directed her to take it down.

Ms O’Neil also stamped out suggestions his Australian speaking tour was cancelled due to visa issues.

Turning Point Australia, the organisers for the tour, announced on Wednesday that the speaking engagements in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane would be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

The touring company released a statement detailing the postponement was due to a “the delay in the arrival of a visa for Donald Trump Jr to enter Australia.”

Ms O’Neil on Thursday took to Twitter to respond to the claims and remained firm that the eldest son of former US president Donald Trump was granted a visa.

“Geez, Donald Trump Jr is a bit of a sore loser. His dad lost an election fair and square - but he says it was stolen,” she wrote.

“Now he’s trying to blame the Australian Government for his poor ticket sales and cancelled tour. Donald Trump Jr has been given a visa to come to Australia.

“He didn’t get cancelled. He’s just a big baby, who isn’t very popular.”

Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cyber Security Clare O'Neil at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles backed the comments, suggesting the tour was cancelled due to ticket sales.

“The visa was dealt with in the normal manner. Any issue that Mr. Trump has or his promoters have that go to the postponement of the tour is a matter entirely for them. It may of course be that the reason for the postponement goes to the lack of enthusiasm for ticket sales, rather than any of the issues that they’ve raised,” he said in a press conference in Sydney.

He said Mr Trump Jr’s visa would have been processed as normal and in line with Australia’s immigration system.

“Now I‘d be really clear about this. I don’t share many of Mr Trump’s views but that is entirely irrelevant to decision making. He is entitled to express them if he meets the requirements of the Migration Act,” Mr Giles said.

“Any matters going to the postponement of this tour are entirely for Mr. Trump Jr. and of course his tour promoters.”

Tour organisers said 8,000 tickets had been sold across the three states.

Trump Jr. places a hand on the shoulder of his father during in a rally on the final night of the 2016 US presidential election.

“The visa, which has now been issued, was only received late afternoon of Wednesday 5 July, only 24 hours before Donald Trump Jr was set to board a flight to Sydney,” the Turning Point Australia statement said.

Their website advised ticket holders to keep their passes and that a new rescheduled date would be confirmed in the coming days.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson said the government should detail how the visa application was processed.

“If it is the case that the Department of Home Affairs was just going through its usual processes and they took time, that’s one thing. If it’s the case that the department went slow on that because of the nature of the application, that would be something very different indeed,” he said.

Prices for tickets to Donald Trump Jr. Live! show range from $89 for general admission and go up to $495 for a VIP seat, after show backstage party and a champagne and photo with Donald Trump Jr.

A private dinner ticket was also advertised, however no price was detailed.