Like father like son: Trump Jr compares Syrian refugees to poisoned candies

Donald Trump's eldest son 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 yesterday, in a tweet showing a picture of a white bowl filled with the popular, rainbow-colored Skittles candies.

This image says it all. Let's end the politically correct agenda that doesn't put America first. #trump2016 pic.twitter.com/9fHwog7ssN

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 19, 2016

His tweet was met with 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 https://t.co/L9fVz0Wh1U

— sarah (@SarahSahim) September 20, 2016

Is Donald Trump's new campaign slogan "Fear The Rainbow"? #Skittles

— Angry Salmond (@AngrySalmond) September 20, 2016

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 travellers to the United States.

Equally controversial was his pronouncement last year that many Mexican immigrants were drug smugglers and rapists.

The brash businessman is also strongly opposed to plans by President Barack Obama to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States by the end of this month.

Syria is in the grip of the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II, amid an exodus of more than 4.8 million fleeing the war-torn country.

The United States, which has a long tradition of taking in refugees, has been criticised for its slow response to the Syrian crisis.