NYT SLAMMED over swastika crossword puzzle released during Hanukkah

Donald Trump Jr. was one of the loudest critics, pointing out on Twitter that if another news outlet with a different ideology pulled a stunt like this, the Times would not be giving them as much of a benefit of the doubt.

"Disgusting! Only the New York Times would get Chanukah going with this is the crossword puzzle," he says. "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."

The design was made up by long-time puzzle designer Ryan McCarty, a data analytics consulting manager from Washington, DC. While his name is likely familiar to Saturday puzzle-doers, this is his first crack at a Sunday puzzle.

He spoke proudly of his creation in the constructor notes section of the newspaper, saying, "I had originally tried to make it work in a 15x15 grid but then decided to expand the grid out to a Sunday-size puzzle with a fun whirlpool shape."

However, a "fun whirlpool shape" was apparently not the first thing some people saw.

"This is the NYTimes crossword puzzle today on the first day of Hanukka. What the hell, @nytimes?" said Keith Edwards, communications director for Nikki Fried's governorship race.

"Wow. This works on a subliminal level too, and being that @nytimes readers are overwhelmingly white, this really scares me," wrote another user.

The newspaper's track record of publishing anti-Israel content was brought up by some users as well.

"Today's Crossword Puzzle from the New York Times for Hanukkah. Pretty much sums up the @nytimes for the past few years in regard to Jews and Israel," wrote S.A.F.E. CUNY, a group that advocates for Zionist Jews at the City University of New York.

The New York Post pointed out that the New York Times Crossword has been accused of making swastika-shaped puzzles in the past, in 2014 and 2017.

In response to the 2017 crossword, the Times wrote "Yes, hi. It's NOT a swastika. Honest to God. No one sits down to make a crossword puzzle and says, 'Hey! You know what would look cool?'"

The New York Times has yet to comment on Sunday's puzzle.