The Trump criminal trial, in cartoons
⚖️ Donald Trump is the first President in U.S. history to face criminal charges, but far from the first world leader to appear before a court of law. Since the year 2000, leaders of 78 countries (including France, Israel, and South Korea) have been charged during or after leaving office.
Issue #83: Reactions to Harrison Butker’s speech, visual riddles, and a writing tip
By
“I am seeing a lot of the same people each morning, and have made a few friends,” writes visual journalist
in one of her latest dispatches from the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, where Donald Trump is on trial. (You might remember Donnelly from a previous issue.)Donnelly’s friends include the court police and journalists who show up every morning. Throughout the month-long trial, she’s illustrated some of its most pivotal moments: Stormy Daniels’ no-holds-barred testimony about sex with Trump in 2006 (“If I had made up the story about sex with Trump, I would have written it to be a lot better”); and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s contrition about all the alleged shady dealings he now regrets, including stealing $30,000 in cash from the Trump Organization:
You’ll find a play-by-play of the trial via any traditional publication, but Donnelly’s coverage is unique. In the words of one reader, it’s “news made whimsical and thoughtful.” Her drawings offer a window into the psychology of each person in a way words can’t.
From Andrew Giuliani parking himself on a bench outside the courthouse each morning to Judge Juan Merchan joking about how hard it is to fool a jury of New Yorkers (Trump’s defense tried and failed to get Cohen’s testimony dismissed, arguing the jury wouldn’t be able to see through him), Donnelly zeros in on the humor and humanity of all the key players.
This is the kind of human, on-the-ground perspective that makes me feel like a part of history.
What else we’re reading
- Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker told a room full of 485 graduating seniors at Benedictine College in Kansas earlier this month that women have “had the most diabolical lies” told to them about their futures. (He believes they’d be happier as homemakers instead of at work.) Reporter posted the transcript to Medium and PR consultant gathered the best reactions from TikTok. Self-described homemaker argues that even if more women decided to stay at home, most families don’t have the means to support an unemployed partner: “If conservatives believe that homemaking is such a virtuous ideal, then they should pass some legislation to pay homemakers a UBI [Universal Basic Income] to actually put that option on the table in middle-class or lower households.”
- What do you get when you combine a doodle and a riddle? A “droodle.” Cartoonist draws a few for us, like this (can you guess what it is before clicking through to Chaz’s post?):
✍️ Your daily dose of practical wisdom: about first drafts
You’ll never write well until you let yourself write badly, says writing coach
. If you’re struggling to get an idea down, “Write badly. Write quickly. Just write.”Learn something new every day with Medium’s Daily Edition. Sign up here.
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