Eric Winter, the actor husband of actress Roselyn Sanchez, denied putting up a social media post in support of President-elect Donald Trump on TikTok Thursday.
The Rookie star, 48, addressed a follower who flagged the content – it appeared to be a 1988 Trump appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show – questioning how it wound up there.
The user, adding that it could have been reposted it accidentally by a person with access to the account, asked Winter, ‘Why would someone hack you just to repost a Trump video?’
The user noted that they made the statement to the actor ‘with love’ amid ‘dark times’ and frustration for people who had been rooting for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the first female U.S. president.
Winter, who has been wed to Sanchez, 51, since 2008, said on his X/Twitter account he ‘didn’t know it was reposted’ and that there didn’t appear to be any suspicious activity on his social media page.
Eric Winter, 48, the actor husband of actress Roselyn Sanchez, 51, denied putting up a social media post in support of President-elect Donald Trump on TikTok Thursday. The couple was pictured in 2020 in Burbank, California
Trump pictured in West Palm Beach, Florida Wednesday following his win over Vice President Kamala Harris
‘I’m looking through my account and it does not seem to be hacked,’ said Winter, who’s also appeared on Rosewood, Witches of East End and The Mentalist. ‘Which means, I must’ve accidentally reposted it after it came up on my feed.’
Winter, who appeared on 411 episodes of Days of Our Lives from 2002-2005, added, ‘For that, I apologize to anyone offended’ and vowed he ‘would never post a video like that on purpose.’
Winter deleted his remarks in the aforementioned exchange and returned with a follow-up post clarifying his reason for how the pro-Trump content surfaced on his page.
‘Thank you for bringing that mistaken repost to my attention,’ Winter said. ‘It was an honest mistake while swiping through content that randomly popped up on my page. It doesn’t reflect my views and I’m sorry if I offended anyone.’
Prior to Winter’s tweets clarifying the situation, he received some pointed pushback in reaction to the appearance of pro-Trump content on his feed.
One user noted Sanchez’s background – she was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico – and that they are parents to daughters Sebella, 12, and son Dylan, seven.
‘Your wife is a Puerto Rican woman,’ the user said. ‘You’re a girl dad. You work on a set filled with woman of color. And you (most likely) voted against every. single. one of them.’
The user added that they expected ‘nothing less from a privileged white American man,’ while another user added, ‘I wish I could say I never expected this but he’s a [privileged] white [man].’
The Rookie star addressed a follower who flagged the content on his X/ Twitter page, questioning how it wound up there.
Winter deleted his remarks in the aforementioned exchange and returned with a follow-up post clarifying his reason for how the pro-Trump content surfaced on his page
Winter and Sanchez, who have been wed since 2008, pictured on his Instagram in September
Another user said, ‘Glad that this week I found the section of the fandom that are trump [supporters] so that I could block them all. You’re all embarrassing.’
Winter caught some flak after clarifying the social media post, as one user said, ‘You have a platform and a huge fanbase, use it better instead of being silent on important matters that affect so many people.’
Another user questioned him, ‘So you’re denying supporting him? You’re a role model to so many, it’s difficult not knowing where you stand.’
One fan suggested Winter did not take the proper tone in his initial response, saying, ‘You could have said this in your first tweet and approached fans with compassion.
Said another user: ‘”It doesn’t reflect my views” would have been a nice way to start and maybe more elaboration on your stance would be a good idea as well.
‘Silence isn’t a very good option in the world we’re living in rn. Especially when you have such a platform that (very clearly) circulates fast.’
Some fans granted Winter the benefit of the doubt amid the awkwardness of the situation during the sensitive timeframe.
‘It’s sad that it’s come to a point where you have to explain yourself,’ said one user. ‘It happens to everyone so the ones saying hateful things to you I am sorry.’
Prior to Winter’s tweets clarifying the situation, he received some pointed pushback in reaction to the appearance of pro-Trump content on his feed
Winter caught some flak after clarifying his post, though some came to his defense
Another added, ‘I’m sorry that you feel like you have to ask for forgiveness again and again for a mistake that you really didn’t want to make. I hope you’re okay Eric.’
A user acknowledged how easy it is to accidentally repost content and not realize it until ‘hours later.
‘People are too quick to think the worst. I just hope this never happens again. Hope you’re okay.’
The controversy is not the first for the couple involving Trump: Sanchez told Entertainment Weekly on July 1, 2015 that Winter was ‘nothing but supportive’ of her after she withdrew from hosting Trump’s Miss USA pageant after he controversially launched his presidential candidacy two weeks before.
In his June 16, 2015 speech announcing his foray into politics, Trump said, ‘When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best … they’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime they’re rapists – and some, I assume, are good people.
Sanchez told the outlet she ‘felt horrible’ after seeing Trump’s remarks at the event: ‘I felt like [by hosting] I’d go against my people.’
Sanchez withdrew from hosting Trump’s Miss USA pageant after he controversially launched his presidential candidacy in a June 16, 2015 speech at Trump Tower in NYC
She said Winter ‘was shocked’ by Trump’s comments as well and helped her compose a statement explaining her exit from the Trump-sponsored event.
Sanchez said, ‘He read it, and he’d say, “This is going a little too far, try this.” He was incredibly supportive, even though he’s white and he can’t relate to the struggle at all.’
Her statement read: ‘I was very excited and proud to have been invited to participate in Miss USA, but as a Latina, that is now inconceivable. Although I am not Mexican, I am Puerto Rican and a proud Latina. His comments were an insult to our culture. I won’t sponsor anything produced by Donald Trump.’
She added to EW of her exit from the event: ‘Trump might not be happy about that but let’s see what happens.’