Twitter mercilessly mocks Donald Trump Jr after he tried to teach his daughter about 'socialism'

Donald Trump Jr unleashed a Halloween Twitter spat after he claimed giving away his daughter's trick or treat haul would teach her about the perils of socialism.

In a tweet sent on Tuesday night (Oct 31) he said: "I'm going to take half of Chloe's candy tonight & give it to some kid who sat at home. It's never to early to teach her about socialism."

The tweet was accompanied with a picture of his glum-looking three-year-old daughter.

The executive's tweet unwittingly sparked a debate with those on the left who thought trick or treating was a poor example of free market economics.

Since its publication the tweet has managed to achieve 52,000 replies and 15,000 retweets. So far he has not responded to the criticism from other users

One user @Bearpigman thought the tweet was a good example of capitalism in action:

"My man, 'socialism' was her getting that free candy in the first place. You taking half for reasons she can't understand is capitalism."

Another, criticising President Trump's efforts at tax reform, wrote: "Take 80% of her candy and give it to the top 1% of trick or treaters. You know like your dads' tax plan."

Some celebrities even got involved with the pile-in. Children's author JK Rowling got in the action with this tweet:

Another, criticising Trump's questionable grammar, said:

This is not the first time Donald Jr has found himself bearing the brunt of a candy-related Twitter quarrel. Last year the mogul's son compared Syrian refugees to a bowl of Skittles, angering human rights groups who accused him of lacking compassion for those fleeing conflict. Although he initially defended the tweet, it was eventually deleted from his profile.