Former Mike Pence spokesman Marc Lotter ripped HBO host John Oliver over his new book parodying Pence's daughter's book about her pet rabbit, saying Pence was welcoming home a fallen American soldier at the same time as Oliver's attack.
Charlotte Pence penned a children's book about her rabbit, Marlon Bundo, titled, Marlon Bundo's A Day in the Life of the Vice President, which tells the duties of the vice president through the rabbit's eyes. The proceeds for the book are benefiting charities, including one dedicated to stopping human trafficking.
On his Sunday evening program "Last Week Tonight," Oliver trolled Pence and his views on gay rights by releasing Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, which proceeds to tell the story of the same rabbit's same-sex wedding.
The stunt received extensive media coverage, and the parody book topped the Amazon best-seller list by Monday morning.
Lotter was unamused.
"While John Oliver was attacking Mike Pence over a children's book for charity, @VP was welcoming home fallen American heroes," Lotter wrote, linking to a story about Pence being on hand to welcome home the body of Christopher Tripp Zanetis at Dover Air Force Base.
While John Oliver was attacking Mike Pence over a children's book for charity, @VP was welcoming home fallen American heroes. https://t.co/NKR0GSHEnX via @fox59
— Marc Lotter (@marc_lotter) March 20, 2018
Zanetis was one of seven service members killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq last week during a troop transport.
A spokesman for the publisher of Charlotte Pence's book called Oliver's joke book "unfortunate" in a statement.
"It's unfortunate that anyone would feel the need to ridicule an educational children's book and turn it into something controversial and partisan. Our and Mrs. and Charlotte Pence's goal is -- and will continue to be -- to educate young readers about the important role of the vice president, as well as to highlight the charities to which portions of the book proceeds will be donated," a Regency Publishing spokesperson said.
However, since the proceeds from Oliver's book go to the LGBT organizations the Trevor Project and AIDS United, Charlotte Pence told Fox Business on Tuesday she was "all for it."
.@charlipence on @iamjohnoliver's parody book on the second family's pet bunny: "His book is contributing to charities that I think we can all get behind... I'm all for it." pic.twitter.com/hEWn4sX95H
— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) March 20, 2018