5 richly deserved political cartoons about tax breaks for billionaires | The Week

published 25 May 2025

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..."

This editorial cartoon is titled "SMART APPLIANCES" and depicts a store shelf with various kitchen appliances that have digital displays showing messages. A man wearing a baseball cap with stars and stripes looks on with a skeptical expression and his finger to his chin. A blender reads "WAKE," a coffee maker says "...UP...", and a toaster displays "...FOOL...". A smart scale with a teapot on it reads "...THE..." and a microwave shows "...BILLIONAIRES..." Below, a smart air conditioning unit says "...ARE… STEALING”. A smart television displays a figure in front of the U.S. Capital with a dollar sign for a body who says "Democracy!"

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!?"

A cartoon depicts a large, overweight man wearing a red "MAGA" hat, a vest with the Confederate battle flag, and camouflage shorts. He has a rifle slung over his shoulder and is speaking emphatically with his arms outstretched. His speech bubble reads, "WHY MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR MILLIONS WHEN YOU CAN GIVE TAX BREAKS TO BILLIONAIRES INSTEAD??!!" Standing to the right is a smaller figure of a woman with her face palmed, looking exasperated.

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!"

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