How cartoons are skewering Trump and the GOP senators during the impeachment trial

Out of those juxtaposed emotions emerged his latest eye-catching commentary.

The Charlotte Observer cartoonist noodled and doodled until his scribbles transformed from elephants into chickens — and a flash of inspiration struck. He rendered the Trump supporters through the filter of cowardly poultry.

In our social-media era, sometimes the most striking way to deliver satire is by riding the virality of a digital hit. “Years ago, a cartoonist could draw upon literature, folktales and fables for cartoon metaphors,” says Siers, yet by visually invoking an Internet sensation, “we cartoonists have got to work with what works to get the message across.”

Mike Luckovich of the Atlanta Journal Constitution is also watching the trial through a humorist’s lens and feeling satirically inspired.

“The House impeachment managers‘ testimony has been so compelling, so excellent and so historic in documenting Trump’s treason that it’s been a challenge to do cartoons that meet the moment,” Luckovich says.

He decided to render a Capitol scene in which crime-scene tape is blinding the Republicans. “I’m trying to draw cartoons that reflect and expose Trump’s ugliness,” he says, “and how his enablers in Congress are sadly trying to whitewash his behavior.”

Jack Ohman of the Sacramento Bee chose to mock the performance of former president Trump’s defense team, including what he saw as “Bruce Castor’s meandering, stream-of-consciousness, fact-free assertions.”

Because “the worst lawyers have the biggest billboards,” Ohman says, he painted a scene in which Trump chose his legal team by proximity to an immense ad.

Here is how some other cartoonists are skewering the impeachment trial:

R.J. Matson (CQ Roll Call):

Jeff Danzinger (Rutland Herald):

Clay Bennett (Chattanooga Times Free Press):

Christopher Weyant (Boston Globe):