Washington Post Cartoonist Resigns over Rejected Satirical Cartoon of Jeff Bezos
Pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes announced her resignation from The Washington Post, citing an editorial decision to scrap a cartoon that included Post owner Jeff Bezos bowing to President-elect Donald Trump.
Telnaes, in a statement posted to Substack Friday night, said that the Post’s decision to kill her cartoon was a “game changer” and warned that “trying to get in the good graces of an autocrat-in-waiting” threatens the function of the free press.
Controversial Cartoon Sparks Resignation
The cartoon in question depicts a group of billionaire tech and media executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and LA Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, bowing and offering sacks of cash to an imposing statue of Trump. Pictured among the genuflecting crowd is Post owner Jeff Bezos.
“I’ve never had a cartoon killed because of who or what I chose to aim my pen at,” Telnaes wrote. “Until now.”
But Post Opinions editor David Shipley said in a statement that, while he respects Telnaes and “all she has given to the Post,” he disagreed with her “interpretation of events.”
Pushback Against Billionaire Influence
Telnaes’ resignation is the latest sign of pushback against the growing influence of billionaire CEOs trying to get into the incoming president’s good graces. Both the Post and the LA Times experienced surges of outrage from employees and readers alike when they separately announced that they would not endorse a presidential candidate — less than two weeks before the Nov. 5 election.
Many at the time pointed the finger at Bezos and Soon-Shiong, the two papers’ billionaire owners, for interfering in the editorial decision.
Bezos, who once openly criticized Trump, has cozied up to the president-elect recently, even dining with him and close adviser Elon Musk, another billionaire CEO, at Mar-a-Lago last month.
Political Backlash and Response
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has been a vocal critic of Musk and Trump’s relationship, shared Telnaes’ cartoon on X, writing: “Big Tech executives are bending the knee to Donald Trump and it’s no surprise why: Billionaires like Jeff Bezos like paying a lower tax rate than a public school teacher.”
The controversy surrounding Telnaes’ cartoon and subsequent resignation highlights the complex dynamics between media, politics, and corporate influence.
