
Political cartoons are images that force their audience infer and form conclusions about many things that are going on around the world. Some political cartoons are more relevant than others due to their recency and relevancy to the world of today.  The 2016 election is one that has been weighing very heavily on a lot of citizens’ minds in the United States.  People are saying that it is going to be one of their most difficult decisions to go to the voting station and simply exercise their own right to vote.  A very interesting political cartoon from the US News depicts this worrisome attitude by exemplifying the dilemma of our nation.  This two-frame cartoon is short but powerful, as it lays out all of the potential moving pieces in such a decision. But one thing is certain:  its focus lies on the ineptitude of the Republican nominee.  Through its setting, simple dialogue, and drawings centering on a potential Trump presidency, the cartoon raises awareness to the alleged horrors such a term could forebode. 

The cartoon invokes scrutiny through its setting.  In both of the two frames, the same room is shown along with the same people.  The fact that there is only one view is very daunting to the reader and also stands for something. When there is multiple views in a comic strip or video, it could mean that it could take place in many different places or situations. In this case, with there being only a singular view, it makes it pretty straightforward what the image and situation represent.  The image shows two characters, in suits, in what looks like the White House, with picture frames of past presidents lining the walls. The portraits on the wall are of presidents Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and George Washington. These are arguably the three most important presidents in United States history, with regards to the feats that they accomplished during their respective terms of office.  The one view represents the situation of America before the election and after the election, and how the room in the White House is particularly affected.  With the portraits falling off the wall in the second frame, one can infer that there is a problem and that something has happened to catalyze their collapse. These images falling represent the election of Donald Trump into office. The cartoonist shows in his image that the country will really struggle if Trump is actually elected into office. He symbolizes this by the descent of some of the founding presidents of this country all within the sacred House in which they lived.  The setting makes the viewer think:  How would these people feel if they knew this was going to be the leader of America? Based on the actions and view of the image, the reader can infer that if Trump is elected, it is going to be a struggle that will tear at the founding views of this great nation and could put America in a very bad situation.

Both of the frames contain dialogue that makes the reader revel at the ruined situation that America would be in with the election of Donald Trump.  In the first frame, the woman and man are talking about the election. The older man states while looking towards the viewer, “Looks like Donald Trump might actually be president” (US News, 1). In the second frame, all three pictures that were on the wall fell on the ground and it shows this by printing in large letters, “CRASH” (US News, 2). The written words that are in each image help the viewer predict that the election is a brutal one for this country. After the words are stated in the first image, the frames fall in the second image. This symbolizes the fall of the ideals of three of the best presidents that the United States have ever seen. It is inferring that this country and the ideals within the country will struggle with the election of Donald Trump.  Moreover, it implies he is one of the reasons that many people worry day in and day out about the future of this country.  His ideals and views of this country and “how it is supposed to be run” can be very challenging to get behind if the viewer keeps in mind the founding fathers of this country, and the cartoonist uses this to his advantage. The cartoonist employs the dialogue of this piece and its simplicity to show how blatantly incompetent of a decision Trump is for the country.

Lastly, the attention to detail in the drawing helps build the artist’s argument.  Between the two images there is a change in the facial expressions of the pictures on the wall. The presidents on the wall go from normal, professional faces to having wide-open eyes when they fall.  This change in persona amongst the presidents on the wall shows the change the persona of  the nation would face after a Trump win. The cartoonist is trying to show through this change in persona that there could be some real issues coming to this country.  In this way, he is trying to raise awareness and note the issues of the Trump presidential campaign.  This is most notably exhibited in the contradictions the notable president have to the views of the current Republican nominee.  Recently, Donald Trump has shown racial prejudice, which juxtaposes the views of Abraham Lincoln, the author of the Emancipation Proclamation and freer of slaves. Trump has also gone bankrupt several times in his business career and this is why President Roosevelt is on the wall, as Roosevelt America get out of the worst economic crisis that it has ever seen. Finally, President Washington is on the wall because Trump goes against many of the founding beliefs of this country. The change of persona of these three men acts as the key to finding the meaning of this political cartoon and the flaws and wrongs of Trump’s presidential campaign. 

This political cartoon is very simple and does not show much in the two frames that are presented, but the meaning behind the cartoon is very important to the security and safety of America. The cartoonist utilizes setting, simple dialogue, and skillful drawing to portray the message that Donald Trump should never have the chance to reach the Oval Office. He goes against the ideals of many Americans, argues the cartoonist, and is thus a very poor example of this great country and the American Dream in general. The cartoonist suggests that three of the best presidents of the United States would be surprised and upset with the election of Donald Trump. These are strong accusations but are very reasonable in the overall scheme of things. Furthermore, the cartoonist implores its viewer to compare Trump to the likes of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt.  He insists that this is not an easy task, and therefore voting for Donald Trump should not be, either.
