Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Brutal 'New Yorker' Cover Perfectly Sums Up How Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell and William Barr Do Trump's Bidding

Brutal 'New Yorker' Cover Perfectly Sums Up How Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell and William Barr Do Trump's Bidding
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images // Mark Wilson/Getty Images // Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images

A picture says so much.

The latest cover of The New Yorker—and others—assert the checks and balances set forth in the Constitution are breaking down under the administration of President Donald Trump. The New Yorker cover shows Senate GOP leadership as well as the head of the Justice Department going beyond being complicit with the President and moved into supplication.

The magazine shared the latest cover on social media where the image immediately drew attention. It was quickly shared by many.


The cover illustration by artist Barry Blitt, entitled "The Shining," depicts President Trump seated on a raised dais while three men kneel at his feet to shine his shoes. The men are Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham—Chair of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Attorney General William Barr—head of the Justice Department and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, also a Republican.

People thought the cover captured actions and attitudes of the three perfectly.

But some thought it didn't go far enough.

Coming from a history of monarchy rule, the framers of the United States Constitution borrowed concepts of confederation government from the Haudenosaunee Confederated tribes and Powhatan Confederacy of North America to develop a new form of government.

Critical to avoiding a return to dictatorial rulers for life was the series of checks and balances between the three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial.

But President Trump speaks often of a necessity for loyalty to him, not the Constitution or laws of the United States. While the free press and some in the judicial and legislative branches continue to uphold their oath to defend and preserve the Constitution, Trump paints them as enemies of the state in his MAGA rallies and on Twitter for their lack of fealty.

But those who wish to remain in the executive branch either tow the line without question or find themselves ousted. The Trump executive branch has not been completely staffed since the inauguration and turnover is record setting.

But a compromised executive branch is only as effective as Congress and the judiciary's willingness to remain complicit in any unethical, immoral or illegal activities done by members of that branch.

And The New Yorker clearly called out three powerful components of the system of checks and balances that appear broken.

In addition to President Trump, GOP Senators Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham are up for reelection in 2020.

More from People/donald-trump

Donald Trump
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images

Trump Just Gave A New Reason For Why He Closes His Eyes During Meetings—And Here We Go Again

President Donald Trump was widely mocked after he explained to New York Magazine that the reason why he's constantly photographed with his eyes closed is not because he's sleeping... but because the meetings he attends are "boring as hell."

In November, The New York Times published an article that argued that despite Trump's projection of “round-the-clock energy, virility and physical stamina" and the fact that he "and the people around him still talk about him as if he is the Energizer Bunny of presidential politics," that image is getting harder to pull off because Trump is showing signs of aging.

Keep ReadingShow less
Adrienne Curry
JB Lacroix/WireImage/Getty Images

'America's Next Top Model' Winner Calls Out New Documentary For Viewing Show Through 'Woke Lens'

The 1990s and early 2000s were a very different time when it came to entertainment, especially how women and people of color were treated on television.

An infamous example of this was the hit television show America's Next Top Model, which ran for 24 seasons. There have been stereotypes and distasteful jokes circulating forever about what it takes to be a model, most focusing on dietary restrictions and infidelity, but America's Next Top Model took that to an entirely different place.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nicholas Galitzine He-Man in 'Masters of the Universe'
Amazon MGM Studios

Conservatives Are Melting Down Over 'He-Man' Movie Joke About Pronouns—And They Missed The Point Entirely

Conservatives have basically two cherished hobbies: caterwauling about trans people and missing the point of every joke. And with the release of the trailer for the new He-Man movie, they got to do both in one go!

Nicholas Galitzine stars as the titular super hero in the upcoming film adaptation Masters of the Universe, and given our times, it's only natural the film would make a joke about pronouns.

Keep ReadingShow less
film clacker with popcorn
GR Stocks on Unsplash

Details People Saw In Movies That They Called BS On Because Of Their Job

Movies are designed to entertain us. As such, they often take creative license with reality.

After all, reality can be less than cinematic.

Keep ReadingShow less
Marjorie Taylor Greene§
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Even MTG Is Demanding That MAGA Admit The Killing Of Alex Pretti Was Completely Unjustified

Former Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to speak out against the MAGA movement that brought her to national prominence, this time calling on Republicans to condemn the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

Calls for an investigation have intensified from across the political spectrum after analysis of multiple videos showed ICE officers removing a handgun from Pretti—a weapon that authorities said Pretti was permitted to carry but was not handling at the time—before fatally shooting him.

Keep ReadingShow less