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Kristi Noem fails a habeas corpus test | May 22 editorial cartoons

Thursday's cartoons feature Kristi Noem bringing the Constitution to heel, the cost of a college education, habeas corpus, and the cost of Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill"

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By The Week US

published 22 May 2025

Kristi Noem, wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat, points a smoking gun at the U.S. Constitution, specifically Article II. A bullet hole is visible in the document. She exclaims, "It just won't behave!"

This cartoon takes place on a sidewalk outside a fancy restaurant. A waiter leans out the door to the "Billionaire's Exclusive Club," where wealthy diners are visible through a window. He hands a long scroll labeled "Big Beautiful Bill... $1.8 Trillion" to a disheveled man holding a "Please Help" sign and a begging cup. The waiter remarks, "There's just the small matter of the Big Beautiful Bill..."

A male graduate in a cap and gown has a heavy black ball labeled "STUDENT LOANS" chained to the top of his graduation cap instead of a tassel. He looks concerned and thinks, "I miss the old tassels..."

A male U.S. Retailer with a mustache wears an apron and holds a pricing gun labeled "TARIFF MARKUPS." He is about to place price tags on packages that have been imported. To the right, a tiny hand, presumably Donald Trump's, points at him from off-panel, with a speech bubble saying, "GO AHEAD! MAKE MY DAY!"

This political cartoon is a takeoff of "Schoolhouse Rock." It features a personified "Big Beautiful Bill" character, shaped like a scroll of paper with a face, sitting on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. The bill wears a sash with a "BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL" button and sings, "I'M JUST A BILL. YES, ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL. I CUT TAXES FOR THE WEALTHY WHILE CUTTING MEDICAID FOR THOSE NOT HEALTHY!"

This political cartoon takes place in a Senate hearing room. A figure, labeled "SEN. HASSAN" leans forward and asks, "SECRETARY NOEM, DEFINE HABEAS CORPUS." Kristi Noem, with long dark hair, replies, "IS IT ANYTHING LIKE HEEBIE JEEBIES?"

A graduation ceremony is taking place outdoors. A speaker stands at a podium labeled "GRADUATION." In front of the podium, several adults are wearing only wooden barrels, suppported by suspenders, A man points to them and explains to another, "THAT'S THE PARENTS' SECTION."

An anthropomorphic elephant stands next to a small man wearing a red "MAGA" style hat. They both look at a massive scroll-like invoice. The invoice is billed to "Hard-working Americans who earn less than $51k" and states "Due over next Decade: $4 Trillion." The elephant exclaims, "Now THAT is One Big, Beautiful Bill!"

This four-panel cartoon depicts the transformation of a vibrant rainforest into a graveyard. The first panel shows a lush jungle with various animals, including a toucan and a jaguar. The second panel introduces crosses appearing among the trees, and the jaguar is running away. The third panel shows the forest has become a dense cemetery, with animals now appearing as faint, ghostly figures. The final panel shows only the graveyard with the ghostly forms of the animals.

An elephant with angry, hooded eyes wears a suit and has "WWJD" (What Would Judas Do?) on its wrist. It holds a money bag labeled "BILLIONAIRE TAX CUTS" and stands near an open safe labeled "MEDICAID, MEDICARE, SNAP FUNDS." The elephant asks, "WHAT WOULD JUDAS DO!?"

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