Netizens Defend Barron Trump After Former NBC Exec Says He's 'Fair Game' After Turning 18

Netizens believe Barron Trump should be left alone even if he's now of legal age amid an NBC exec's controversial comment about Donald Trump's son.

Barron turned 18 years old on Monday. Mike Sington, a former senior executive at NBCUniversal and Hollywood's ultimate insider, took to X, formerly Twitter, to greet Donald and Melania Trump's son on his birthday. However, his post raised several eyebrows because he mentioned that Barron was "fair game" after turning 18.

"Barron Trump turns 18 today. He's fair game now," Sington wrote in a since-deleted tweet.

Several netizens were furious after reading the tweet as they felt that he was encouraging others to attack the youngest Trump now that he is no longer a minor. So, they rallied to support Barron and told others to leave him alone because he's a private person.

"No, Barron Trump is not fair game because he turns 18. Unless Barron comes out and starts campaigning directly for Trump, he should be left alone," one commented.

"You are a deeply sick and evil individual. Barron Trump is a completely private individual -- who has not credibly been accused of any crimes. He is not 'fair game for anything," a second user added.

"So Barron Trump turned 18. The media is arguing that he's now fair game. I don't know the kid, and it's not his fault his family is f****d up. So let's go easy and leave the kid alone," a third person opined.

"My policy is they're off limits unless they interject themselves in the news.. leave them alone," a fourth person said.

Sington explained to Newsweek via X direct message on Wednesday why he made the tweet and deleted it shortly. He clarified that he didn't want to harm Barron.

"I posted he was 'fair game' now, meaning, as an adult, he's 'fair game' for criticism from the press," Sington said. "Someone pointed out to me 'fair game' could mean fair game to be harmed. I don't wish physical harm on anyone, so I took it down. I listen to the comments and criticism I receive."

Several personalities previously attacked Barron on social media.

In 2017, Katie Rich, a former writer for "Saturday Night Live," was suspended for saying on Twitter that Barron "will be the country's first homeschool shooter."

In 2018, actor Peter Fonda took to the same platform and wrote that he wanted to "rip Barron Trump from his mother's arms and put him in a cage with pedophiles," Fox News reported.

"Jeopardy!" star Ken Jennings also received an intense backlash for joking about an 11-year-old Barron when he commented on a report about his alleged reaction to Kathy Griffin's infamous photoshoot featuring a prop of Trump's bloodied severed head.

"Barron Trump saw a very long necktie on a heap of expired deli meat in a dumpster. He thought it was his dad & his little heart is breaking," Jennings wrote in a since-deleted tweet.

All three issued an apology for their comments about Barron, according to Fox News.