Trump’s son compares Syrian refugees to poisoned candies

Donald Trump's eldest son has triggered an online storm with a tweet, comparing Syrian refugees to a bowl containing an assortment of tainted and untainted candies.

"This image says it all," Donald Trump Jr, 38, wrote in a tweet, showing a picture of a white bowl filled with the popular, rainbow-colored Skittles candies, on Monday.

Written above the image is: "If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you. Would you take a handful? That's our Syria refugee problem." 

The Twitter post – showing the familiar Trump-Pence 2016 logo with the presidential campaign slogan ‘Make America Great Again!’ – was met with an immediate scorn from users of the popular micro-blogging site. "I'm not even big on Skittles but now I will buy up every single packet," wrote @SarahSahim. "Is Donald Trump's new campaign slogan 'Fear The Rainbow'"? wrote Twitter user @AngrySalmond.

Donald Trump, the 2016 Republican presidential candidate, has sparked waves of criticism with comments on race, immigrants and refugees, including calling for a ban on Muslim travelers to the US. 

Equally controversial was his pronouncement last year that many Mexican immigrants were drug smugglers and rapists.The brash businessman is strongly opposed to plans by President Barack Obama to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the US by the month-end.