Pulitzer Prize-Winning Cartoonist Ann Telnaes Resigns from Washington Post Over Rejected Bezos-Trump Cartoon

Jan 4, 2025, 12:46 PM

Ann Telnaes, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, has resigned from The Washington Post after the newspaper rejected her cartoon that depicted tech and media billionaires, including Post owner Jeff Bezos, genuflecting toward a statue of President-elect Donald Trump. Telnaes, who has worked at the Post since 2008, stated that this was the first time in her career that a cartoon was killed due to its subject matter. The rejected cartoon criticized billionaires for attempting to curry favor with Trump, featuring figures like Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Patrick Soon-Shiong, and Mickey Mouse representing the Walt Disney Company. David Shipley, the Post's opinions editor, explained that the decision was not influenced by the content but rather to avoid repetition, as other columns on the same topic were scheduled for publication. Telnaes expressed concern over the implications for press freedom, emphasizing the role of editorial cartoonists in holding powerful entities accountable.