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Why Did Trump Call Al Franken ‘Frankenstien’ On Twitter?

Was “Al Frankenstien” a typo? A joke? An anti-Semitic dog whistle?

Such were the questions Friday night after President Donald Trump tweeted his thoughts on the new sexual harassment allegations against Senator Al Franken, who apologized earlier in the day for kissing and groping a woman without her consent on a USO tour in 2006.

In his late-night tweet, Trump referred to Franken as “Al Frankenstien,” perhaps a misspelled reference to the fictional scientist who created the famous green monster. The apparent attempt at humor drew puzzlement from some Twitter users, who noted that the suffix also served to make Franken’s name look even more Jewish.

Others noted that Trump had little ground to criticize others for sexual harassment, given the many allegations against him.

Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at [email protected] or on Twitter, @joshnathankazis.

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