Trump

Selective Outrage

The only bright spot for Will Smith from Chris Rock’s Netflix special, Selective Outrage, is that he knows at least one person watched “Emancipation”.

I pulled up Netflix Saturday night without any idea of what I was going to watch, which is a typical Saturday night for me now that I’m old and single. The first thing to pop up was Chris Rock’s live special, “Selective Outrage.” If I heard about this special coming up beforehand, I forgot. Since I didn’t have anything specific in mind to watch (more Community, IT Crowd, The Good Place?), I decided to check out Rock’s special which was coming live from Baltimore. I pulled it up during the pre-show.

The comedians during the pre-show were praising Rock and talking about how he was on fire and bringing his A-game, which to me was like when Trump announced his campaign for the 2024 presidential election, and Sean Hannity and fellow goons were talking about how he was on fire and unstoppable, even though they weren’t actually listening to the speech.

Did Chris Rock bring his A-game? Now take it from a white guy but one who watches a lot of standups and has seen several of Rock’s previous specials, but no. He was not on fire and he didn’t bring his A-game…until the last ten minutes.

Don’t get me wrong. It was good, not great. But everybody’s talking about the last ten minutes.

Rock joked about getting his own daughter kicked out of school, dating women in their 40s and 50s, Meghan Markle’s shock that the royal family is racist, and how black people will look behind a baby’s ears to see what shade of black they’ll be when they’re older.

The ear thing was news to me, but again, I’m white. White people don’t have to look behind a baby’s ears to see what shade of white they’ll be because we know that baby’s gonna be white and won’t be judged by the tone of its whiteness. I was aware of black people being treated differently based on their skin tone, as those with darker skin will deal with more racism, but the ear-check was an education for me.

Another education for me was Lululemon which I had never heard of, but I know about yoga pants. My friends and I have long conversations about yoga pants, and we don’t wear yoga pants.

Some of his observations were funny and honest like if Beyonce wasn’t famous and worked at Burger King, she could still land a millionaire like Jay-Z because of how beautiful she is. But if Jay-Z wasn’t rich and famous, he’d never land a woman like Beyonce (which Jay-Z would probably agree with). And then Rock said, “Last thing I need is another mad rapper,” which was a reference to being slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars a year ago. It was a running joke as he said it again after a Snoop Dog joke.

I was OK with Rock joking that parents should be allowed to kill their children until they’re four because it’s a joke and I had a four-year-old (they’re tiny terrorists), but I didn’t like him saying that every abortion is killing a baby because it feeds into the anti-science fundamentalist zealotry talking point used by Republicans who are banning abortions. But he was right when he said to women, “If you have to pay for your own abortion, you should have an abortion.”

And then he got to the slap.

Rock has said little over the past year regarding the slap. He’s referenced it here and there in his standups that weren’t big specials on a streaming network. But he’s mostly stayed silent. He’s been applauded for being mature and dignified over the entire thing. Not anymore. On Saturday night, Rock slapped back and I don’t think Will Smith will ever recover.

Rock said he loved Will Smith and used to cheer for him but now, he said, “I watch ‘Emancipation’ just to see him get whooped.”

I don’t really care about celebrity feuds or take sides. I’m still on the fence about Van Halen versus David Lee Roth. I honestly don’t know for sure where this one stems from. From what I understand, Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith had an affair. Rock’s theory is that Smith took his anger about the affair out on him. Rock said, “She hurt him way more than he hurt me.”

If you remember, and you should, Rock hosted last year’s Oscars and told a joke about Jada’s baldness which made Will Smith walk onto the stage and slap Chris Rock. Rock said the slap still hurts and that he has “Summertime” ringing in his ears a year later. I got that joke because “Summertime” came out when I was still young and listening to new music.

Rock said there are four ways people can get attention in our culture: Showing your ass, being infamous, being excellent, or playing the victim. Rock said he’s not a victim and you won’t see him on Oprah or Gayle (which is something else I had to look up. Gayle King, right?). But, Rock did play the victim somewhat by claiming Smith took his frustrations out on him after so many other people had called him a “bitch.” But if you want to find a room full of victims, go to CPAC.

CPAC, which was also in Maryland over the weekend, but not Baltimore, is the annual convention of racist Republican assholes so quite naturally, its keynote speaker was Donald Trump. Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen said the room for Trump’s speech was only at 40 percent capacity, and this entire convention was a Trump event. Cohen is a professional liar but a reporter for Vanity Fair who’s been covering CPAC for the past decade said he’s “never seen it more dead.”

Trump read a boring speech off a teleprompter for over 90 minutes in which he tapped into old grievances and told the white crowd exactly what they want to hear, that they’re the victims. He told them, “I am your retribution.”

Retribution for what? Losing an election? Failing at a coup? Liberals making you fat? No, that was McDonalds.

Trump, who plays the victim card daily, told the white audience that they’re victims, which is what they want to hear. White conservatives claim they’re the most persecuted group in world history never mind that throughout most of history, white people were the persecutors. Colonization was started by white people and going back to Rock’s jokes about Meghan Markle when it comes to racism, the royal family is the Sugarhill Gang, the “O.G. of racism.”

“Selective Outrage” could be the slogan for the Trump 2024 presidential campaign.

I’ll give Chris Rock’s special a B while Trump’s deserves an F. At least Rock brought new material. Trump, who told over 30 lies during his speech, played his greatest hits. We’ll keep hearing those “hits” of grievances and lies over the next two years. What we probably won’t be seeing is a lot of new Will Smith movies.

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are 19 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

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Florida Man

Here’s your cartoon for this week’s CNN Opinion newsletter. Please sign up to get these in your inbox every Sunday

I drew this Friday before I had the idea for my last cartoon on DeSantis that also featured Trump and Mickey. That cartoon was on the Florida bill that would require bloggers to register with the state if they write about elected officials. This cartoon is more about Trump versus DeSantis for the Republican nomination.

There were two Republican conventions over the weekend that featured dueling speeches and messages from Trump and DeSantis. Trump spoke and lied at CPAC while DeSantis spoke at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. But there was another speech (of sorts) over the weekend that I found contrasted with what Trump said that I found more interesting, and you’ll see that in the cartoon I’ll post later today.

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are 19 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

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Dictator DeSantis

This isn’t really happening, is it? Florida isn’t really going to force bloggers to register with the state if they criticize state officials, is it?

It is if fascist-loving Republican state senator Jason Brodeur has his way.

Hey, Republicans, if you want people to stop accusing you of being fascists then maybe quit the fascism. Hmm? And make no mistake about it, this is fascism at its very core. Did you know that bloggers in Russia with over 3,000 readers must register with the state? That way it’s easier for them to find you when it’s time to throw you off a building.

This bill is titled “Information Dissemination,” which is bizarre coming from the party of election lies. The legislation states, “If a blogger posts to a blog about an elected state officer and receives, or will receive, compensation for that post, the blogger must register with the appropriate office within five days of the post.” The bill defines “elected state officer” as “the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, a Cabinet officer, or any member of the Legislature.” Florida’s cabinet officers are elected and included the Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, and Commissioner of Agriculture.

Failing to register your blog on state officials would result in a fine of $25 per day, capped at $2,500.

The bill also states the bloggers’ reports to the state “must include” the “individual or entity that compensated the blogger for the blog post, and “the amount of compensation received from the individual or entity.”

The state wants to know who’s saying bad things about officials and who’s paying for it. I guess that way, state officials can track down the financial benefactor and put the squeeze on them, if not the writer himself. Sometimes trying to pressure a blogger doesn’t work because I hear some of them can be crazy and out of fucks to give.

Several people contribute to this blog each month. They can vary from $1.00 to $15. There are not a lot of them but I appreciate each and everyone one of them for believing in my work so much that they want to contribute to it. They contribute to keeping it going. Now, imagine if I had to give the state a list of everyone who contributes. I would refuse, even if it became law.

The bill defines a blog as “a website or webpage that hosts any blogger and is frequently updated with opinion, commentary, or business content,” but it says the “term does not include the website of a newspaper or other similar publication.”

I think WordPress, which hosts this blog and millions of others, needs to hire some lobbyists and lawyers to challenge this shit.

Ron DeSantis’ spokesgoon said the governor was reviewing the bill and, “As usual, the governor will consider the merits of a bill in final form if and when it passes the legislature.” That was the wrong response if the governor loves freedom and democracy. Instead of saying he was considering the merits of some fascist legislation, he should have said, “This legislation, if passed, will go straight from the legislature and straight into the governor’s trash can.” Not this governor.

Who believes the governor who has punished Disney for disagreeing with him will veto this bill? Who believes the governor who outlawed the word “gay” from classrooms will veto this bill? Who believes the governor outlawing black history being taught will veto this bill? Who believes the governor firing elected officials will veto this bill? Who believes the governor trying to take over a state college in order for it to give a “conservative” education will veto this bill? Who believes the governor who just created a board of homophobic religious zealots to oversee Disney’s content will veto this bill? Who believes the governor who proclaimed that Florida is “where woke goes to die” will veto this bill?

I don’t think Ron DeSantis will veto this bill.

You would also think this is useless legislation since it violates the Constitution, but considering all the goons Trump and Mitch McConnell have stacked in the courts, who says it can’t get survive court challenges?

Brodeur needs more than a civics lesson. He said, “Paid bloggers are lobbyists who write instead of talk. They both are professional electioneers. If lobbyists have to register and report, why shouldn’t paid bloggers? Because in many cases, bloggers are journalists. A lobbyist has to file as a lot of their legislative efforts aren’t public. A blogger’s work is public. My cartoons and blogs are public and I rarely if ever talk to government officials. I don’t take government officials out to lunch or on fact-finding trips. I don’t play golf with congressmen. And what if a blogger isn’t paid?

Blogging is also speech. Freedom of speech is a constitutional guarantee. If I don’t register with the state, then I can’t say something about a specific topic? Republicans call themselves constitutionalists but it seems none of them have read the Constitution.

I haven’t read that this bill, if passed, would apply to bloggers outside of Florida. Maybe its author doesn’t understand he can’t legislate beyond his state’s borders. But I have half a mind to move to Florida just to challenge this bullshit bogus fascist legislation. But even without being in Florida, I need to care about this because Florida is still a part of the United States. Also, DeSantis is planning to run for president and I’m sure if elected, he’ll push his fascism nationwide.

Not in my America. When you go after bloggers and freedom of speech, you’re coming after me. You wanna fight? You got one. And if you think the mouse was tough, you haven’t tangled with a political cartoonist yet.

Frustrating blog note: I’m writing this at McDonald’s in Central Park. No, not the famous Central Park in Manhattan but the stupidly named Central Park in Fredericksburg which is not a park but a collection of strip malls with a neon design inspired by Las Vegas’ sunset strip. I’m not shitting you.

I came to Central Park to pick up my new eyeglasses. There were supposed to be two but apparently, I only bought one pair even though the salesman talked me into making sure the lenses for both frames were progressive, me handing him two frames, and us going back and forth about the lenses for both pairs. What really stumped me is that I paid the same price for this one pair that I paid for two last year. But OK, I bought one pair with a better set of lenses even though I wasn’t aware of that at the moment and they couldn’t compare to my last order because, for some reason, I have two accounts at America’s Best. Whatever. I have one pair now.

After picking up my ONE pair of eyeglasses, I walked over to Wegmans and got some rice and noodles from the buffet. I checked the notifications on my phone and realized I couldn’t read them because my eyes have not adjusted to my brand new ONE pair of eyeglasses at America’s Best, or they fucked them up. I had donated all my old pairs of eyeglasses to America’s Best to give to charity, but I decided to go back and retrieve the one I wore into the store. I did that, took a long walk to Starbucks to discover the lobby is closed, then walked back into the wind to write the blog at McDonald’s where I also ordered a mocha….and learned after paying that the mocha machine is done.

I also missed the bus to get down here so I had to order a Lyft. Quite frankly, the only thing that worked right today was the Lyft, the rice, and the noodles. Also, Madonna’s “borderline” is playing right now. “I feel I’m going to lose my mind.”

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are 19 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

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No-News News

We have talked about this a lot here but it’s worth repeating. Fox News is NOT news.

Every news outlet gets it wrong from time to time, but they’re not lying. When someone claims an outlet such as CNN or The New York Times lies, they’re never specific. It’s an “I know you are but what am I?”. When CNN and The Times gets something wrong, they issue corrections.

But Fox News doesn’t just get shit wrong and push right-wing talking points. They don’t just overhype fake scandals. They don’t just manufacture outrage to raise their viewers’ blood pressure with their ratings. They don’t just push racism and provide a platform for goons like Kash Patel and Rudy Giuliani to mouth crap all over their airwaves. They don’t just market their platform to sell advertising for shitty pillows. Fox News knowingly lies to its viewers.

And now, further proof they’re not a legitimate news outlet comes with the news that the head of Fox News, Rupert Murdoch himself, gave Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, a preview of ads from the Joe Biden campaign before they were public. If an employee from a legitimate network had given a preview of campaign ads to a rival candidate, that person would be fired.

The Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit has revealed text messages and emails from Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham, as well as between executives, including Murdoch that reveal they all knew Trump’s claims of the 2020 election being stolen were not just false, but totally absurd lies being spread by lunatics. They knew the claims were false but continued to give the lies a platform. I discussed this last week.

Naturally, Fox News has not reported this. Why not? Because they’re not a real news outlet. This also comes at the same time that Speaker Kevin McCarthy has given thousands of hours of footage from the Jan. 6 white nationalist MAGA attack on the Capitol to Tucker Carlson. Did McCarthy not hear that Tucker knowingly lies? Maybe McCarthy doesn’t know this because he only watches Fox News.

A few years ago, Tucker kept spreading conspiracy theories about the murder of Democratic Party campaign worker Seth Rich. When the network was threatened with lawsuits, they told Tucker to stop. Tucker stopped but he never issued a correction or apology. Tucker is NOT a journalist. Fox News did issue a retraction but never apologized. They reached a seven-figure settlement with the Rich family. Tucker just kept on being lying Tucker and went on to help get Fox News into another lawsuit, this time one for $1.6 billion.

Take all this into account with Republican arguments and efforts to make it easier to sue media outlets for lying. Donald Trump once tweeted that news outlets shouldn’t be allowed to publish whatever they want. Usually, the main issue they have with the press isn’t that the press lies, but that the press tells the truth.

Now, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wants to kill laws that protect free speech and the freedom of the press. He said, “The idea that they would create narratives that are contrary to discovering facts, I don’t know that was the standard. Now it seems you pursue the narrative, you’re trying to advance the narrative and trying to get the clicks, and the fact-checking and contrary facts have just fallen by the wayside.” Ron DeSantis described Fox News in that statement, which is the only network he allows to interview him. This is where Tucker works, who called for the firing of one of that network’s fact-checkers.

But it’s the right who are always lying. Let’s use a right-wing MAGA cartoonist as an example of lies and hypocrisies.

Look at these two cartoons from Eric Allie. Today, Eric claims the press lied about the lab-leak theory, Jim Crow 2.0, Hunter’s laptop, Russian collusion, Don’t say gay, the Steele Dossier, and natural immunity. Except the media didn’t lie about any of those. But in a cartoon from last December, Eric claims the Democrats and the media “colluded” with big tech to suppress the free press. This is not true. It’s a lie.

The right claims they’re against lies when they’re liars. What they complain about are not lies. There was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Voter suppression is a real thing and it’s being enacted by Republicans who are changing voting laws based on lies there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election. “Don’t say gay” is a nickname, but it’s pretty much what the Florida bill is about. The Steele Dossier was never presented as fact, very little of it has been debunked, and the press never presented it as fact since it was produced by political campaigns. I don’t recall the press lying about natural immunity. The lab leak theory has low confidence. And there’s nothing incriminating about anyone or anything on Hunter Biden’s laptop.

Republicans have difficulty with comprehension and they should not be the ones deciding what’s true and what are lies. But to make it easy for you, if a Republican says it, it’s a lie.

The last wall between democracy and fascism is a free press which is why fascist goons like Ron DeSantis and all other Republicans are trying to destroy it. And in trying to destroy the free press, they’re trying to destroy the Constitution, which Donald Trump has already called for terminating.

The next time someone in the media is interviewing a Republican about suing media outlets for making stuff up, they should ask if those lawsuits should apply to Fox News. The only problem with this is, Republicans only allow themselves to be interviewed by Fox News.

Update on my current Facebook suspension: As you’re probably aware, I earned ANOTHER 30-day suspension on Facebook yesterday. It was for the cartoon of Dilbert in a KKK hood. My friend Lalo Alcaraz did something similar in support of me and called his “Klanbert.” I love that. Anyways, I got banned for hitting racists again, Facebook upheld the ban and denied my appeal, and then around 1 a.m., my page came back up.

My page was disabled and I couldn’t even log into Facebook. Each time I went to it, I just got a message that I was suspended. I couldn’t even use Messenger which was new because I was able to use it during my two previous 30-day bans. So when I went to Facebook and it came up, I thought it was another case of its inconsistency until a window popped up telling me I was back. They didn’t admit they got it wrong, just that they were “concerned.”

Anyway, subscribe here so you don’t have to wonder for 30 days where I am next time I get another suspension. OK? Subscribing is free. It’s on the right of the page. Look. See it? That’s it. Now click it. It won’t hurt. Thank you.

Music note: I listened to Edwyn Collins and Drivin’ and Cryin’.

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are 19 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

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Putin On The Fit

I dedicate this cartoon to all my conservative political cartooning colleagues who are upset over President Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine last week. And before you start to think that I enjoy beating up on MAGAt cartoonists, let me assure you, I do.

I’m not going to link to any of their cartoons today because I don’t feel like doing the work of looking them up and I have an eye appointment. But, I saw cartoons from Steve Kelley and Dana Summers where both whined about Biden giving money to Ukraine during his visit and not giving any to East Palestine. Republicans hate social welfare and many in Congress will vote against disaster relief when the disaster isn’t in their state. But here, they’re advocating for corporate welfare because the mess in East Palestine is an expense that should be covered by the corporation that caused it.

I saw a cartoon by Gary McCoy where he claimed there were “fake air raid sirens” during Biden’s visit to Kyiv. What the hell is a “fake air raid siren?” Wouldn’t that be someone doing the sound with their mouth? What’s that noise, is it an air raid siren? No, that’s just Gary being a whiny little hypocritical Putin-loving beyotch again. In the same cartoon, Gary blamed President Biden for Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons. It’s like blaming somebody for waking up the baby. Of course, you don’t blame the baby, but Putin is not a baby.

At least Ted Rall is paid by Russia to carry Putin’s water (and he attacked Biden’s trip too). Is Putin paying the other goons too?

These goons don’t want to blame the company that created the toxic disaster in East Palestine and they don’t want to blame the fascist dictator who is threatening armageddon. The GOP is NOT the party of responsibility.

Even if the air raid sirens going off in Kyiv during Biden’s visit were “fake,” Gary and whoever else is making that claim ignores that President Biden traveled through Ukraine by train for ten hours. And then ten hours on his return trip. That’s 20 hours when a Russian bomb could have hit President Biden’s train. Yes, Putin was given advance notice that President Biden was visiting Ukraine, but that was a gamble itself. They were trusting that the guy threatening nuclear war and has intentionally dropped bombs on daycare centers wouldn’t want an international incident of murdering an American president. Maybe they told him Trump was on the train.

And just because it was stupid, Gary Varvel drew President Biden riding a snail labeled “FEMA,” not realizing that what happened in East Palestine doesn’t fall under FEMA’s directive.

Biden’s trip was historic. It was the first time an American president visited a war zone that wasn’t occupied by American troops. He was in a danger zone. Russian missiles and bombs hit Ukraine. It was extremely brave and heroic of President Biden to visit. It was everything Republicans would love if one of their guys did it. They would have called it “manly.” If Trump did it, they would say it was an act by the “alpha male.” So of course, they’re trying to diminish what Biden did. All they have to do this with is Trump’s visit to East Palestine where he gave out Trump-branded water and MAGA hats.

It sure was nice of Trump to visit the site of a train derailment while President Biden is in office because he sure didn’t do it for any of the thousands of train derailments during the four years he was president (sic). But maybe the fact the entire Trump presidency (sic) was a train wreck makes up for his lack of visit.

They love to claim that while President Biden was in Ukraine, Trump, the guy who called for terminating the Constitution, was in East Palestine putting America first.

It doesn’t matter what either guy does according to the MAGAts. To them, Biden is a horrible person because maybe two dozen classified documents were found on his property, while Trump had every right to steal thousands of documents. You can’t win with the goons. They ignore reality like the fact Donald Trump is a racist.

President Biden walked through a war zone under the threat of bombs falling on him. Donald Trump is afraid of getting his hair wet.

Music note: I listened to Sananda Francesco Maitreya.

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are 19 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

Watch me draw:

Dilbert

So Scott Adams has officially exposed himself as a racist now.

Who’s Scott Adams? He’s the cartoonist who created the comic strip Dilbert, set in an office setting with a stupid boss and a talking dog. I can’t give a better description than that since I never read it.

To be fair, I stopped reading comic strips a long time ago. I read them as a kid and Charles Schulz is my first teacher, but I lost interest in the funny pages after I became a political cartoonist which was about the same time that Calvin & Hobbes, Bloom County, and The Far Side all ended their runs. But even if I still read them, I wouldn’t read Dilbert. Again, trying to be fair, I wouldn’t read it, not because it’s a bad comic strip, but just because it doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t think it’s funny, but that’s just me.

Someone liked Dilbert though because it was in over 2,000 newspapers. When asked yesterday by The Washington Post how many papers still carried his strip, he said, “By Monday, around zero.”

The National Cartoonists Society awarded Adams its Reuben Award in 1998. It’ll be interesting if they make a statement…or not.

So what happened? Last Wednesday on YouTube, Adams called Black Americans a “hate group” and said White people should “get the hell away from” them.

Adams was upset by a Rasmussen Poll, a favorite of conservatives, that found a thin majority of Black Americans agreed with the statement “It’s okay to be White.”

Ranting on a live stream on YouTube, Adams said, “If nearly half of all Blacks are not okay with White people … that’s a hate group. I don’t want to have anything to do with them. And I would say, based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to White people is to get the hell away from Black people … because there is no fixing this.”

He also blamed Black people for not “focusing on education” and said, “I’m also really sick of seeing video after video of Black Americans beating up non-Black citizens.” I have not seen these videos.

He texted a reporter at The Washington Post, “Lots of people are angry, but I haven’t seen any disagreement yet, at least not from anyone who saw the context.” The context? The literal context is he called Black people a “hate group” and said white people should “stay away from them.” Just in case I have to say it for the record, I disagree with that.

Adams has been trolling for MAGA since Trump came down the golden escalator. He’s been a conspiracy-spreading goon for a while. He’s been racist for years but just hasn’t come out and admitted it. the San Francisco Chronicle stopped publishing Dilbert months ago after strips made jokes about reparations for slavery and inclusive workplaces.

Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, editor and chief of the Chronicle said, “His strip went from being hilarious to being hurtful and mean” and that “very few readers noticed when we killed it, and we only had a handful of complaints.”

The people who are OK with Trump saying “send them back” to black female members of Congress will say this doesn’t prove Adams is a racist. But he’s a racist.

My colleague Darrin Bell, who’s the only Black cartoonist to win a Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning (and also the last cartoonist to win a Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning) said, “His racism is not even unique among cartoonists.” He’s right. Right-wing MAGA cartoonists have been doing a lot of pro-white cartoons since Trump announced his candidacy in 2015. Basically, anyone who says Trump is not a racist is a racist.

Trump has made white nationalist goons more comfortable with exposing their hate and racism. Racist attacks have increased since 2015. The Proud Boys were created AFTER Trump came down the escalator and called Mexicans “rapists and murderers.” Membership in Oath Keepers, the Three Percenters, and the KKK increased AFTER Trump came down that racist escalator. But I don’t expect the MAGA cartoonists to intentionally reveal themselves now, but they are published in many mainstream publications. And syndicates like Cagle Cartoons, Creators Syndicate, and Counterpoint don’t have a problem with selling racist cartoons when those cartoons sell.

But for Adams, Dilbert isn’t selling anymore. Since Wednesday, it’s been dropped by The Washington Post, Detroit Free Press, San Antonio Express-News, Los Angeles Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, and each of the 300 newspapers in the Gannett chain which includes Arizona Republic, Detroit News, Cincinnati Enquirer, Indianapolis Star, Austin American-Statesman, and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The publisher for the Plain Dealer said that pulling Dilbert was “not a difficult decision.”

Now, Adams is whining. He said, “Most of my income will be gone by next week. My reputation for the rest of my life is destroyed. You can’t come back from this, am I right? There’s no way you can come back from this.”

Yes, his career is destroyed but nobody forced him to say, “You should absolutely be racist whenever it’s to your advantage. Every one of you should be open to making a racist personal career decision.”

One person who is supporting him and his racism is Elon Musk who I’m sure is someone’s pointy-haired boss.

Music Note: I listened to The Black Keys.

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are 19 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

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Trump Train Wreck

Republicans have politicized the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, blasting President Biden, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and other Democrats while never mentioning Norfolk Southern, the Republican-lobbying railway corporation responsible for this mess.

This week’s talking point was attacking President Biden for visiting Ukraine before visiting East Palestine as if it’s not an American president’s job to oppose fascism and stand up for democracy. Others, like MAGAt cartoonists Steve Kelley and Dana Summers, blast him for directing taxpayer money to help Ukraine fight Russia while not sending any to East Palestine.

Steve and Dana are great examples of how partisan and inconsistent the Right is. They oppose funding infrastructure while screaming for public funds to go into cleaning up a toxic train derailment. They gripe about public debt but want taxpayer money spent to clean up a toxic disaster created by a corporation that spends millions lobbying Republicans to cut regulations that create toxic train derailments. Republicans who scream about debt are just fine with tax cuts for billionaire assholes, spending millions on racist walls, and cleaning up disasters created by corporations. Steve and Dana would rather taxpayers clean up the toxicity than the corporation that made it.

By the way, we can care about both, the war in Ukraine and the train derailment. One doesn’t actually have anything to do with the other. But, goons gotta goon. Take in point, Donald Trump.

Donald Trump visited East Palestine this week and brought MAGA hats and Trump-branded water even though there isn’t a brand of Trump water. This is like the time when candidate Trump sent Play-Doh to hurricane survivors in 2016.

Here’s a clue for you MAGAts: If a candidate visits your disaster area and hands out products with his name on them, he doesn’t actually care about you. He’s campaigning. And in Trump’s case, he’s probably also grifting.

Trump, who won’t go out in the rain less enough walk through a war zone while air raids sirens are going off, said while posing in front of crates of “Trump Water,” “You are not forgotten. We stand with you. We pray for you. And we will stand with you and your fight to help ensure the accountability that you deserve.”

Trump refuses to “ensure the accountability” they deserve. He’s the guy who deregulated the railway industry making it easier for toxic train derailments to happen. He demands accountability while refusing to say “Norfolk Southern.” He shouldn’t be handing out bottles of water with his name on them. He should be handing out checks.

How can Republicans spend so much time and energy howling about a corporate-made disaster without mentioning the corporation? If you listen to these goons, you’d think Pete Buttigieg’s gay marriage caused the train derailment. Or maybe it was Pete and his husband adopting babies.

And as if East Palestine hadn’t suffered enough from leaking toxic chemicals, Rudy Giuliani and his hair dye made a visit.

Marco Rubio says Buttigieg is more focused on his political future than his job as Transportation Secretary, but remember that Rubio ran for president during his first term as a U.S. Senator.

Every single Republican who has tried to score political points from this needs to put up or shut up. Notice that none of them have offered solutions. But I got one. each of them, from Marco Rubio to Sean Hannity to Marjorie Taylor Greene to Jim “Gym” Jordan to Donald Trump, and even MAGAt cartoonists need to throw their support for heavier regulations on the railway industry. And they all need to support stiffer fines on these greedy corporate bastards when they make these messes.

How about a new law that whenever a railway company creates a toxic disaster they have to spend at least the same amount on the cleanup that they did on stock buybacks?

Everything President Biden is cleaning up now is leftover from Trump. We have a recession because of Trump. We had a supply-chain crisis because of Trump. We have high gas prices because of Trump. the high cost of eggs we’re paying today is because of Trump. We’re still cleaning up the mess from Trump ignoring the coronavirus pandemic. Even the war in Ukraine is partly because of Trump. And this toxic train derailment belongs to Trump too.

The entire Trump presidency (sic) was a toxic train wreck that we’re still cleaning up and that motherfucker shows up with a straight orange face in the middle of it for a photo-op.

And here’s another piece of advice: Don’t drink Trump water.

Music Note: I listened to Billy Joel.

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are 19 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

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National Divorce

Marjorie Taylor Greene wants a “national divorce.” No, she’s not talking about her current divorce proceedings from her husband. She’s talking about the United States having a divorce, red states from blue states.

Like most ideas and statements from MTG and her fellow goons, such as Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, Jim “Gym” Jordans, Louis Gohmert, and others, it’s a stupid idea. Naturally, she hasn’t explained how it will work which leads many to believe she’s just trolling, like when she tweeted earlier this week that “America hates Joe Biden.” Really? I haven’t seen that poll.

Explaining her plan for a national divorce, she tweeted, “We need a national divorce. We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government. Everyone I talk to says this. From the sick and disgusting woke culture issues shoved down our throats to the Democrat’s traitorous America Last policies, we are done.”

She’s giving up on democracy and wants to live and serve in a nation where everyone agrees with her. Of course, the people who agree with her are treasonous Putin-loving fascist white nationalists. And you might think she has a point and we should break up because you can’t simply agree to disagree with racists.

It’s like MTG’s challenges to Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, and wondering why AOC won’t accept. It’s because you can’t talk to people like MTG. There is not a reasonable conversation to be had with Marjorie Taylor Greene. If you don’t believe me, just scroll through one of her two Twitter accounts.

This is a really odd proposal to tear apart the homeland from someone who shits in, I mean, sits on the Homeland Security Committee. It’s also odd coming from someone whose district is in a state that voted for President Joe Biden, Senator Jon Ossoff, and Senator Raphael Warnock. So how would this work? Do we chop off districts that vote for racist morons like MTG and give that to Red America while the educated enlightened, and dare if I say it, woke part of the state goes to Blue America?

Did you know that the majority of people who voted for Donald Trump in 2020 live in states Joe Biden won? No, the states weren’t stolen by Biden. It’s because more people live in blue states than in red states. Every state has blue and red areas. If there’s a city in a red state, it most likely votes blue.

The cities in Florida are blue. Birmingham, Alabama is blue. Jackson, Mississippi is blue. Dallas and Houston are blue. Charlotte, North Carolina is blue. Columbia, South Carolina is blue. Little Rock, Arkansas is blue. Juneau, Alaska is blue. Boise, Idaho is blue. You get the drift.

MTG says one reason to do this is to shrink the federal government. She’s a sitting member of Congress and is too stupid to know that red states are actually funded by blue states. Yup, blue states kick in more money into the federal government than red states contribute. In fact, the majority of welfare states are…wait for it…red states.

Also, Republicans spend more and increase the size of our debt and the federal government than Democrats do. Fact, fact, fuckity fact, fact. MTG needs a remedial course in government. Maybe this is the only answer Republicans have to the fact that their presidential candidates can’t win the popular vote.

MTG says, “Everyone I talk to says this,” about the nation splitting up. But who does she talk to, fellow troll Lauren Boebert? Who, by the way, also represents a red district (she barely won last year) in a blue state.

The fact is, Marjorie Taylor Green is a moron. She’s an idiot. She’s a simpleton. She is not intellectually qualified to be a member of Congress, less enough, for a seat on the Homeland Security Committee. She’s not just unqualified because she’s a moron, but also because she truly hates this country. People who hate this nation and wish to destroy our democracy shouldn’t be elected to Congress…or to the presidency.

But if she wants to divorce America, I say let her go. Let Putin have her since she loves him and his fascism so much. But no returns.

Buh-bye, Felicia.

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are 19 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

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Cake Treason

February 24 will be the first anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. It’ll be the first anniversary of Vladimir Putin bombing churches, hospitals, schools, apartments, playgrounds, and the civilian population of Ukraine. It will not be the first anniversary of Putin being a war criminal because he’s been doing that his entire life.

I’ve been expecting President Biden to pay a surprise visit to Ukraine which he did this morning, visiting the capital, Kyiv, and strolling outside with President Volodymir Zelenskyy while air sirens were blaring.

I think Russia’s war criminal of a president was hoping to visit Kyiv before President Biden, so this trip is an insult to him. But, he has support in the United States.

Matt Gaetz said, “When our border is in crisis, Joe Biden goes home to nap in Delaware. When Ohio burns with toxic chemicals, Biden’s admin says everything is fine. So on President’s Day, I’m not surprised that Biden is ditching America for Ukraine. He ditched America’s interests since the start of his presidency. They can keep him!”

Freshman Senator Eric Schmitt, tweeted, “If you want to understand why so many Americans are frustrated right now: Biden is in Ukraine before Ohio.”

Josh Hawley said, “No time to visit East Palestine, Ohio but plenty of time for this.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted, “This is incredibly insulting. Today on our President’s Day, Joe Biden, the President of the United States chose Ukraine over America, while forcing the American people to pay for Ukraine’s government and war. I can not express how much Americans hate Joe Biden.” Then she repeated calls to impeach President Biden without specifying any crimes he’s committed.

Senator Tommy Tuberville, who thinks the three branches of government are the House, Senate, and White House, tweeted, “#POTUS has now spent more time in Ukraine than he has at our southern border. @JoeBiden refuses to address the AMERICAN crisis that will impact generations and poses an immediate threat to our national security.”

Representative Scott Perry tweeted, “Breathtaking that President Biden can show up in Ukraine to ensure their border is secure, but can’t do the same for America.”

I can’t tell you what Ted Rall is tweeting about it because he blocked me several months ago for pointing out he works for Russia and has a permanent Putin boner, but I’m pretty sure he’s filling a diaper over it right about now.

Take note that each of these Republicans are goons for Putin. They were fine with Donald Trump kissing Putin’s ass and handing over classified information to the Russians. They were fine with Donald Trump praising Putin and calling him a “genius” for his invasion of Ukraine. Also take note that a few of these goons asked Trump for pardons for their involvement of his coup attempt.

Also, take note that President Biden has dispatched federal resources to East Palestine. For some reason, Republicans really want a photo-op.

We are supporting democracy over fascism with our support for Ukraine. President Biden’s visit is moral support to Ukraine and a slap in the face to Russia…and obviously, to Russia’s supporters here in the states. What will Tucker, “Why should I hate Putin?,” say tonight on his show?

The goons love to point out that Russia didn’t invade Ukraine while Trump was president (sic) as if Putin was afraid of how Trump would react. Ha. Yet, they’re upset we’re supporting Ukraine militarily. MTG even tweeted a lie this morning that Zelenskyy is commanding U.S. troops in Ukraine.

But the reason Russia didn’t invade Ukraine while Trump was president (sic) is that it didn’t have to. Invading Ukraine has given NATO renewed purpose and in fact, has increased the size of NATO by two more nations. Why would Putin have given NATO a renewed purpose while Trump was trying to destroy it?

President Biden bravely visited a war zone while cowardly Republicans are tweeting in the safety of their offices…all except Matt Gaetz. There’s no telling how many STDs have contaminated that office which is probably more toxic than East Palestine.

President Biden visits a war zone while air sirens are sounding. Donald Trump canceled a trip to a former war zone because the rain would mess up his hair. Apparently, bleached skunk carcasses don’t do well in humidity.

An American president is supposed to be able to multitask. He can direct aid to East Palestine, Ohio, and work on border issues while representing the United States on an international trip. He’s currently visiting Poland but none of these Republicans have mentioned that, just Ukraine which is very telling.

The thing about President Biden that upsets Republicans the most is that he’s a good president. He’s visiting a war zone while Donald Trump is golfing at his country club…unless it rains.

Take note: I did a cartoon on the one-year anniversary of Putin’s illegal invasion for CNN, which I’ll post here later.

Music note: I listened to Nirvana’s “Unplugged.”

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are 19 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

Watch me draw:

Subpoena Fly

Former vice president (sic) and never-gonna-be-president (yay) Mike Pence got a subpoena from Special Counsel Jack Smith and in typical Mike Pence worm-like behavior, he’s trying to worm out of it.

First off, have you seen a photo of Jack Smith? I’ve never heard the guy talk but just from his photo, he looks like a take-no-bullshit kinda dude. He kinda looks like actor/director Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Cowboys and Aliens, Mandalorian, Elf). I hope it’s true he doesn’t take any bullshit because that’s exactly what Mike Pence and his lawyers are trying to give him.

Smith is investigating Donald Trump’s attempt to steal the election, his role in the Jan 6 white nationalist terrorist attack on the Capitol, and his theft of classified documents. Pence is at least a witness to the attempted theft of the election and coup attempt.

A lot of people praise Mike Pence for doing the right thing on January 6, 2021, and that was certifying the electoral college, which was his duty. Quite frankly, he’s being praised for not breaking the law. For his service, he got Trumpers with nooses after him. But his patriotism stopped there as he is refusing to cooperate with an investigation looking into an attempt to destroy our democracy.

What happened to being a member of the Law and Order Party? What happened to being constitutionalists? What happened to their love of democracy? What happened to Mike Pence’s patriotism?

A true patriot would want to cooperate with an investigation of an attempt to destroy our democracy. Mike Pence is no patriot. He’s a worm. He’s a goon.

Pence’s argument that he can’t cooperate is that he was acting as President of the Senate and is protected under the “speech or debate” clause of the Constitution. The clause he’s placing all his chips in says that “for any Speech or Debate in either House,” senators and representatives, “shall not be questioned in any other Place.”

Well here’s an idea. Why don’t you testify in the chamber of the Senate? Problem solved.

But he’s not actually protected by this because when Donald Trump asked him face to face to deny the certification, they were in the Oval Office and the last time I checked, the Oval Office is in the White House, NOT the United States Capitol building. Pence is a member of the executive branch, not the legislative. He is NOT a senator.

Other than certifying the electoral college, a vice president’s only job in the Senate is to cast tie-breaking votes. They do not engage in debates or speeches in the Senate. They don’t sit on committees.

Pence told reporters, “My fight is on the separation of powers. My fight against the DOJ subpoena, very simply, is on defending the prerogatives I had as president of the Senate to preside over the Joint Session of Congress on January 6.” I’m sure Jack Smith also has a lot of questions about the days leading up to January 6.

Even if Pence’s argument is legitimate, then it only applies for when he was physically in the Senate chamber on January 6. Was he acting as president of the Senate when Trump asked him to break the law? Was he acting as president of the Senate when he was running for his life from a noose-carrying mob chanting, “Hang Mike Pence?”

As Sarah Marshall said in the incredible film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.”

This stance takes gall, especially since his argument for refusing to testify before the House committee investigating the insurrection is that he’s a member of the executive branch. He said it would set “a terrible precedent for the Congress to summon a vice president of the United States to speak about deliberations that took place at the White House.”

So basically he can’t testify before the Special Counsel about stuff that happened in Congress, and he can’t testify to Congress about stuff that happened in the White House. I told you he’s a worm.

The biggest problem for Pence and his lawyers when they take this argument to court is that the clause they’re relying on only mentions “senators” and “representatives.” Mike Pence was neither at the time in question. He better hope he gets a sycophantic Trumper judge which he may as he plans to argue this all the way to the Supreme Court.

It would be a lot easier and quicker if he’d cooperate and testify. But the real reason Mike Pence is refusing to testify is that he doesn’t want to piss off the MAGA base while he runs against that base’s cult leader.

Every presidential candidate is going to straddle the line of running against Donald Trump while trying to appeal to his base. I don’t see that working. And that base has already made nooses and chanted, “Hang Mike Pence.” The MAGA base literally tried to murder Mike Pence. Now, the thinks he can win their votes.

Pence is praised for putting the nation before political power on January 6, but now he’s putting political ambition before the country.

I think even the Pence Fly can see the flaws in Pence’s argument.

Music note: I listened to Collective Soul.

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are 19 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

Watch me draw: