WASHINGTON — Politico found itself embroiled in controversy after pulling a contentious cartoon from its publication, featuring a blood-soaked portrayal of President Trump alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, depicted with an exaggerated nose, seated amidst bags of money.
The cartoon, published last Friday by Politico, a media outlet owned by the German conglomerate Axel Springer, illustrated the two leaders aboard a dilapidated ship. Accompanying them were several prominent GOP figures, depicted wearing blood-stained Jewish prayer shawls and yarmulkes.
The vessel bore a sign reading “Amalek,” a Hebrew term denoting an enemy, and appeared to be on a collision course with Iran, teetering on the brink of a cliff.
Entitled “Ship of Neocons,” the cartoon was part of Politico’s weekly collection showcasing diverse works from cartoonists nationwide. However, after the Washington Free Beacon raised concerns about its antisemitic implications, the illustration was removed on Saturday.
“We made the decision to remove a cartoon by independent cartoonist Sean Delonas from this week’s gallery after considering feedback from our readers, which indicated it did not align with our standards,” Politico stated.
“While political cartoons can present sharp arguments and provocative imagery, any depiction that could be reasonably seen as relying on ethnic stereotypes or utilizing historically hateful tropes is unacceptable,” the statement added.
Delonas previously worked as a cartoonist for The Post’s Page Six between 1990 and 2013 and now has his work syndicated with Cagle Cartoons.
“The neocons have been criticizing me and fellow journalists lately for our anti-war stance,” he wrote in a blog post responding to the controversy.
“As is typical, neocons avoid debating any issue, which in my case is a cartoon about the war with Iran that Israel instigated. Instead, they resort to name-calling against all they disagree with.”
Neocon is short for neoconservative, a political ideology that includes the blend of “traditional conservatism with individualism and qualified support for free markets,” according to Britannica.
Delonas’ cartoon includes Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) wearing a bloody yarmulke and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) draped in a bloodied prayer shawl. Neither of the men is Jewish.
Graham is shown pouring blood on an elephant, symbolizing the Republican Party.
Vice President JD Vance also looks menacingly off the edge of the cliff, where the water and ship are headed, and a very blood-soaked Secretary of War stares intently in the distance, seemingly unfazed or unaware of the danger ahead.
The ship sails past two feeble-looking, shirtless MAGA-hat-wearing people who appear to be begging for scraps.
Hanging over the ship was a “Mission Accomplished” sign.
Critics slammed the cartoon for trafficking in antisemitic tropes by exaggerating Netanyahu’s nose and using Jewish symbols to suggest that the Jews have been manipulating events to push the war in Iran.
Delonas hit back at those accusations in his response, arguing that cartoonists are constantly exaggerating body features and that he referenced “Amalek” because Netanyahu recently said, “Remember what Amalek did to you. We remember, and we act.”
“All the figures have exaggerated features — it’s a cartoon. I drew more exaggerated noses on Senator Ted Cruz and the GOP elephants in the cartoon than on Bibi. Is that anti-Semitic as well?” he argued.
Politico did not respond to a Post request for comment.
