Children in the White House
by Clay Jones
The press has a long tradition of respecting the privacy of children in the White House. They laid off Amy Carter (who I went to high school with for a year), Chelsea Clinton, the Bush twins, and Sasha and Malia Obama.
Many in the public, including celebrities, radio talk show hosts, and other politicians haven’t given the same respect.
During the Clinton presidency Rush Limbaugh compared 12-year-old Chelsea to a dog. Racists commenting on Fox News’ website went after Malia Obama after she was accepted into Harvard. A GOP staffer was forced to resign when she wrote that the Obama girls dressed like they were going to a bar. That same staffer was probably silent when the Bush twins were caught underage drinking in an actual bar. I’m sure you’ve seen all the Haterade if you’re on social media.
One of my conservative friends and cartooning colleagues says he never saw one conservative attack the Obama girls. Of course he’s a liar. That crap lands on every Obama posts he’s ever made (same guy spent the weekend calling all the women who marched last Saturday fat and ugly). How does someone like that not see it?
During the transition Rosie O’Donnell made a comment that Barron Trump could be autistic. She said she wasn’t trying to attack him but it’s still a place where she shouldn’t go. Autism is nothing to be ashamed of but it’s a private matter left to the family to disclose, if true. Funny thing, Trump never tweeted outrage about that slight.
After the inauguration a writer for Saturday Night Live tweeted that Barron Trump would be the first home-schooled shooter. She later deleted that tweet and was indefinitely suspended from SNL. SNL won’t miss her if she’s only contributing that type of humor.
You have to leave the kids alone, even if their last name is Trump. Politicians love to drag their kids out for photo ops and commercials and that’s fine. It changes a bit when you give them lines reading attacks and insults on another politician, like Ted Cruz did with his daughters. But Ted Cruz is the creepiest man alive so that kinda goes with the territory. Phoniest man alive too which is why his outrage when cartoonist Ann Telnaes lampooned the spot was obviously scripted.
While respecting the privacy of children, we need to watch out how these politicians, like Cruz, will use them. Cruz put them in an ad with lines and then used his outrage for a fundraiser. These are people with low morals and they’ve already proven they’ll make anything up and ignore what they’ve done in the past.
Which is why the two other children currently in the White House needs to be taken to task and held accountable. Kids say the darndest things and they can get away with it. It’s cute when they say “pasghetti.” It’s not cute when an adult says “pasghetti,” or when they scold the media, issue veiled threats, lie, and then say their obvious lies were just “alternative facts.”
Donald Trump will say anything and he’s hired people to sell his lies.
Everyone spins.
Trump lies.
Whether it’s Muslims in New Jersey celebrating 9/11 (he claimed he saw that), Obama’s birtherism, Ted Cruz’s dad being in on killing JFK, or the latest about crowd size, and now that millions of illegals voted which is why he lost the popular vote.
Trump’s alternative reality isn’t reality. It’s not fitting for a president and it can’t be allowed to slide.
It appears the daily White House briefings are going to be difficult. Sean Spicer’s first two questions were from Trump friendly news sources (one had written an anti-Hillary book, and the other was from a pro-life outfit). We’re going to have briefings with daily lies and then Kellyanne Conway will take to the airwaves to double down on those lies.
Do you see why it’s difficult for me to find subjects other than Trump?
This cartoon and post are licensed by Clay Jones to run on TMV.