Sometimes stories in the news linger in my head for longer than the news cycle. The CNN town hall with Trump was a few days ago, but I cannot get it out of my head. I didn’t watch it on principle, because such events are what promoted him to where he is now. Free advertising. Everyone wanting to watch to see how horrible he can be. It’s a circus.
We’ve been here before. I looked in my store of Trump drawings and found one that would work for this situation…although not quite. This one is probably from 2016. We know how he spreads hate. But now we know it’s actually much, much worse. The day after a jury found him guilty of sexual assault in Manhattan this week, he appears on tv to further slander his vindicated accuser, E. Jean Carroll. In fact, because of that she may sue him again. Trump called the CNN interviewer, Kaitlyn Collins “nasty,” which is his go-to word for women who argue with him and call him out. The audience, all Republicans, laughed and applauded.
But he is spreading much more than hate. His word, his manipulation of the media and of the truth is a danger to our democracy. It’s not laughable. CNN has tried to spin it as how we have to SEE our enemies (my words). Well, we’ve seen him plenty. He does not need any more free town halls, free airtime. Enough. I do hope the Dems got enough sound bites from the event to use against him, much as his own words in his deposition for the sexual assault trial buried him in that case.
We have to stop him. I hope E. Jean Carroll sues him again, I hope people continue to come out publicly to stop him. We have to use all our efforts.
My drawing at the top of this page is my way of saying, let’s make him walk off into the horizon. Yes, I would like to see him in jail. But mostly I just want him to go away.
Walk away from us.
On another note.
I want to thank you for your support here. If you have been following my work, you know I live-draw a lot. Recently, I was on location at the Oscars and the E. Jean Carroll trial. I do this on my own; since the pandemic, I have not had a news outlet support my live-drawing reportage. The media is careful, somewhat traditionally minded, and money is tight- I get it. But that’s where you come in. You can help me do more live-drawing with an upgrade to your subscription. If you are already in that camp, I am extremely grateful.
I want to draw political events, debates, trials, and shine light on what’s going on the room with my drawings and words. I’d like to continue to draw cultural events such as the Oscars, important marches. One aspiration is to be in the room at the Supreme Court for an imporant case. The World Series?! I am currently looking for a sponsor to send me to the US Open.
With the E.Jean Carroll trial, I was able to just walk in and draw (it was so amazing that our justice system lets us do that); other events I need a media sponsor. Perhaps you are an editor at a news outlet that likes my live drawing reporting, or know an avenue in the media world.
Thank you again for your help, and for listening. The beauty of this organization, Substack, is its structure with you all supporting me, is allowing me to move forward a little more with my work. Legacy media is such a difficult place now, and Substack helps writers get to their readers directly. I am very grateful.
I’ve subscribed to your newsletter for a couple of weeks, having discovered it through Notes (love your Good Mornings!). I have long loved your cartoons in the New Yorker, but I had no idea about your other work. Your newsletter is fantastic, so today you have a new paid subscriber. 😊 It’s really wonderful to follow the thoughts on drawings of someone so thoughtful and talented. It’s people like you that give me hope for the human race. Thank you!!
Trump vows to pardoning the people convicted of sedition if he's elected. Every time that man opens his mouth something vile comes out. I hear he dug his own grave again on CNN. He's building his own yellow brick road to hell. Only it won't be a dream when he gets there.