The New York Times defended its crossword puzzle design Monday after drawing significant backlash over the weekend.
The newspaper, which has previously been accused of anti-Semitism, published a design that many said resembled a Nazi swastika on the first night of Hannukah, Sunday.
Donald Trump Jr., along with many others from both sides of the aisle, criticized the Gray Lady.
“Disgusting!” Trump Jr. tweeted. “Only the New York Times would get Chanukah going with this is the crossword puzzle. Imagine what they would do to someone who did this and was not ideologically aligned with them? I’ll give them the same benefit of the doubt they would give those people… EXACTLY ZERO.”
Disgusting! Only the New York Times would get Chanukah going with this is the crossword puzzle. Imagine what they would do to someone who did this and was not ideologically aligned with them? I’ll give them the same benefit of the doubt they would give those people… EXACTLY ZERO pic.twitter.com/eZHr0SQbT4
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 18, 2022
“This is the NYTimes crossword puzzle today on the first day of Hannuka,” Keith Edwards said. “What the hell, @nytimes?”
This is the NYTimes crossword puzzle today on the first day of Hanukka.
— Keith Edwards (@keithedwards) December 18, 2022
What the hell, @nytimes? pic.twitter.com/kNBs8RjyJJ
“Am I actually seeing this symbol? From the New York Times? During Chanukah? Which editor missed this?” Dr. Aaron Kheriaty tweeted.
Am I actually seeing this symbol? From the New York Times? During Chanukah? Which editor missed this? pic.twitter.com/KFWDHLKDJy
— Aaron Kheriaty, MD (@akheriaty) December 18, 2022
“You tell me what it looks like. And then tell me it wasn’t on purpose,” author Laura Kronen tweeted.
This was the New York Times crossword puzzle yesterday for the first day of Hanukkah. You tell me what it looks like. And then tell me it wasn’t on purpose. pic.twitter.com/zNsp7gbet4
— Laura K (@LauraKronen) December 19, 2022
A Times spokesperson doubled down on the controversial design in a statement to the DailyMail.com:
“This is a common crossword design: Many open grids in crosswords have a similar spiral pattern because of the rules around rotational symmetry and black squares,” the spokesperson said.
Other people have pointed out that the @nytimes crossword has an interesting layout this week. I thought, “There’s no way this actually made it to print.” I had just bought the print copy… and we’ll shit. I did nahtsee that coming. (This is real, I just took the photo) pic.twitter.com/j7OPp3UDyr
— Zach D Roberts – Photojournalist for hire (@zdroberts) December 18, 2022
Today’s New York Times crossword is um…making me nervous. pic.twitter.com/73CafLiy3Z
— Blake Flayton (@blakeflayton) December 18, 2022
Today is the first day of Hanukkah and this is how @nytimes celebrates. pic.twitter.com/KWveDQV7BD
— Jennifer Public Radio-ho-ho!🎄 (@AmbientSynthy) December 19, 2022
.@NYTimes Last straw. On the first night of Hanukkah?! I’m done with you.
— Ashley 🤍 𝕊𝕦𝕡𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥 🇺🇦 (@SumItUpSmashley) December 18, 2022
It’s incredible difficult to see this as an accident—if so, there’s an editor to be fired alongside the puzzle maker. pic.twitter.com/DoptfHmJIp
Did the New York Times publish a crossword puzzle in the shape of a swastika on the first day of Hanukkah on purpose or was it an accident?
— Miss.B (@DBen31389275) December 19, 2022
I think we all know the answer to that one.
Friggin Nazi New York Times pic.twitter.com/TMcfQoBVFy