Facing an opponent who has failed to attract the same young Americans who flocked to President Obama in 2008 and 2012, Donald Trump saw an opportunity earlier this month to court disenchanted millennials with a not-so-secret weapon.

To engage youth voters, the Republican presidential nominee released an image of his eldest children — Ivanka, Donald Jr. and Eric — staring intently into the camera with the hashtag #MillennialsForTrump written beneath on a crisp red, white and blue banner. Within hours, the photograph became an unfortunate Internet meme, evoking comparisons to the 1984 cult film “Children of the Corn” and giving amateur photoshoppers a canvass to play with.