An Italian politician accused Donald Trump Jr. of illegally hunting ducks during a recent trip to Italy.
The accusation came via a Facebook post from Andrea Zanoni, a member of the Veneto Assembly, who shared footage of Trump Jr. hunting in Campagna Lupia, outside of Venice.
The video of Trump Jr. was originally posted on the YouTube channel of the outdoor lifestyle brand Field Ethos, which he co-founded.
The video appears to have since been removed from the YouTube page.
The area is in a “Natura 2000” EU conservation zone, protected by strict standards.
Although hunting is legal in Italy, it is strictly regulated to ensure the protection of endangered species.
In the post, Zanoni showed a photo of Trump Jr. standing near what he says is a dead ruddy shelduck, a protected species.
“The video shows Trump Jr. with a ruddy shelduck in the foreground, a duck that is very rare in all of Europe and protected by the EU Birds Directive and by the Italian law on the protection of wildlife ... The killing or holding of this animal is punishable by law," Zanoni said.
In the video Zanoni referred to, Trump Jr. is shown in the marshlands surrounding Venice.
Trump Jr. bragged about his catch in the video, telling the camera he caught “a rather uncommon duck for the area.”
“Incredible shoot,” he concluded.
The Trumps are avid trophy hunters, with Eric Trump and Trump Jr. both partaking in international hunting trips.
In 2012, images surfaced of the brothers posing next to dead animals following a safari, receiving widespread criticism.
This duck hunt isn’t the first time Trump Jr. may have killed a protected species.
The Mongolian government retroactively granted Trump Jr. a permit to slay the animal after he had left the region.
Commenting on Zanoni’s post, several praised the politician for criticizing the president’s son.
One Facebooker wrote, “The arrogance of these scoundrels has no limit. The non-application of the laws in force is a national vice. The combination is explosive ... damn them.”
Another commented, “Do as your father taught us? Foreigners who come to Italy to commit crimes, take them to the border with handcuffs on their wrists and ankles…”
Zanoni also referenced Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni’s attendance at Trump’s inauguration, criticizing her government’s ties to the Trump administration.
“The current Meloni government now seems to be kept on a leash by the new U.S. political direction," Zanoni wrote.
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