A political cartoon from the Buffalo News has ignited controversy, featuring an illustration of Trump supporters robbing victims affected by severe flash floods in Texas.
The cartoon’s caption notes, “A historic flash flood struck southern Texas, killing at least 82 people and leaving dozens missing.”
In the image, a man in a red “Make America Great Again” hat is shown struggling to stay afloat in the floodwaters of Kerr County, holding up a “help” sign. A speech bubble from another individual states, “The government is not a solution, it’s a problem.”
At the top of the comic, the word “Sweep…” can be seen. This seems to suggest that the cartoonist, Adam Ziglis, is commenting on the claims of Trump supporters who argue that government presence was “swept out” in the aftermath of the flooding.
Zyglis mentioned in a social media post, “Tomorrow’s Line… that debate is coming to a moment,” and he included tags like “NOAA,” “National Weather Service,” and “Maga.”
Several liberal commentators have also faced backlash for their reactions, drawing parallels between the floods and President Donald Trump. Some in the Democratic party were criticized for politicizing the disaster.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson rebuked these critics on Monday, expressing frustration that such tragedies provoke lies and political attacks aimed at opponents. She emphasized that false claims related to the weather event have repeatedly been debunked.
The comic received significant backlash online. Michael Cracker, chair of the Erie County Republican Committee, stated, “@thebuffalonews ran a comic that mocks families who lost loved ones, just because they might have voted for Republicans. They should apologize to those families and retract this content.”
Social media account Libs of TikTok echoed sentiments that the Buffalo News cartoon targeted Texas families impacted by the disaster, simply due to their political affiliations.
Oli London pointed out that the controversial cartoon featured a flood victim wearing a “maga” hat, adding that Adam Zigis, a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, created it for the outlet.
Fox News Digital attempted to reach out to both Zyglis and the Buffalo News for comments but did not receive any replies before publication.
