Washington Post cartoonist quits after paper rejects sketch of Bezos bowing to Trump
Share and Follow


A cartoonist has decided to quit her job at the Washington Post after an editor rejected her sketch of the newspaper’s owner and other media executives bowing before President-elect Donald Trump.

Ann Telnaes posted a message Friday on the online platform Substack saying that she drew a cartoon showing a group of media executives bowing before Trump while offering him bags of money, including Post owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Telnaes wrote that the cartoon was intended to criticize “billionaire tech and media chief executives who have been doing their best to curry favor with incoming President-elect Trump.” Several executives, Bezos among them, have been spotted at Trump’s Florida club Mar-a-Lago. She accused them of having lucrative government contracts and working to eliminate regulations.

Telnaes said that she’s never before had a cartoon rejected because of its inherent messaging and that such a move is dangerous for a free press.

“As an editorial cartoonist, my job is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable,” Telnaes wrote. “For the first time, my editor prevented me from doing that critical job. So I have decided to leave the Post. I doubt my decision will cause much of a stir and that it will be dismissed because I’m just a cartoonist. But I will not stop holding truth to power through my cartooning, because as they say ‘Democracy dies in darkness.’”

The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists issued a statement Saturday accusing the Post of “political cowardice” and asking other cartoonists to post Telnaes’ sketch with the hashtag #StandWithAnn in a show of solidarity.

“Tyranny ends at pen point,” the association said. “It thrives in the dark, and the Washington Post simply closed its eyes and gave in like a punch-drunk boxer.”

The Post’s communications director, Liza Pluto, provided The Associated Press on Saturday with a statement from David Shipley, the newspaper’s editorial page editor. Shipley said in the statement that he disagrees with Telnaes’ “interpretation of events.”

He said he decided to nix the cartoon because the paper had just published a column on the same topic as the cartoon and was set to publish another.

“Not every editorial judgement is a reflection of a malign force. … The only bias was against repetition,” Shipley said.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
DHS rule expands facial recognition to all US ports of entry for foreign travelers

DHS Implements Comprehensive Facial Recognition for Foreign Travelers at All U.S. Ports of Entry

The Department of Homeland Security has introduced updated directives mandating that foreign…
Utah man accused of throwing 6 puppies out of car on highway, killing 2 of them

Utah Highway Horror: Man Allegedly Throws Puppies from Car, Resulting in Tragic Loss

A disturbing incident unfolded in Davis County, Utah, where a man was…
Jack Ciattarelli tells The Post why he'll win NJ gov race this time despite 2021 loss

Jack Ciattarelli Reveals Winning Strategy for New Jersey Governor Race After 2021 Setback

SPRING LAKE, NJ — Perhaps the third attempt will be the lucky…
An Oct. 30, 2025, booking photo of Cody Skaggs from the Kent County jail.

Former Convict in 1996 Murder Case Arrested After High-Speed Chase and Break-In at Retirement Home

PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) – A man who led police on a…
'We don’t have time': Parents of 4-year-old with rare disorder urge FDA to reconsider drug denial

Desperate Plea: Parents of Child with Rare Disorder Urge FDA to Reevaluate Drug Rejection

The FDA has recently declined to approve dichloroacetate (DCA) as a treatment…
Teen surfer saves Air Force veteran after wipeout in Oceanside

Young Surfer Heroically Rescues Air Force Veteran in Oceanside Wipeout

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — A single wave drastically altered the course of Scott…
Report details Adam Beckerink's behavior during court-ordered drug test, accused of murdering Caitlin Tracey at South Loop condo

Court-Ordered Drug Test Report Reveals Adam Beckerink’s Conduct Amid Accusations in Caitlin Tracey Murder Case at South Loop Condo

In Chicago, authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Adam Beckerink, who…
Tom Brady blames fatherhood and $375m Fox job for making him sick

Tom Brady Cites Fatherhood and Lucrative $375M Fox Deal as Sources of Stress and Illness

In his latest newsletter, Tom Brady shared a candid moment, reflecting on…