"Breaking news" may be the most uttered phrase this week, and it's only Thursday. Successive reports about a whirlwind of alleged acts by President Donald Trump — both official and unscripted — have Washington and its allies apoplectic.
There was The Washington Post report that Trump casually revealed highly sensitive, classified intelligence information while meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at the White House; that news broke Monday. Then came the confused and contradictory White House responses to the story: first a denial from surrogates, then a tweet from the president confirming that, yes, he did share information with the Russians. Then the "wholly appropriate" chant offered by National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, as a way to defend his boss's, er, sharing.
On Tuesday, The New York Times reported that Trump had asked former FBI Director James Comey to halt a federal investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. By Wednesday, the Justice Department had named a special prosecutor to oversee the FBI investigation into Russian involvement in the US presidential election.
And those are just the highlights.
Cartoonists are sketching around the clock, scurrying to respond to the furor. Here's some of the most powerful commentary we've found from them so far. Stay tuned.
The joke in these three cartoons is essentially the same: Russia excels in spycraft and intelligence gathering — but with Trump, they don't even have to try. He'll just give it to them.
Martin Sutovec, Slovakia
Alan Moir , Australia
Spy vs. Trump pic.twitter.com/XqB1D2byo9
— Gary Clement (@garyjoelclement) May 17, 2017
Jos Collignon , The Netherlands.
Patrick Chappatte , Switzerland, for The International New York Times
Bas van der Schot , The Netherlands
TRUMPGATE #COMEY #NIXON #trumpMustGo #trumpgate #FBIDirector #Trumprussia #TrumpsterFire @sunriseon7 @BreakfastNews @abc730 @9NewsQueensland pic.twitter.com/Jx6qw58n5K
— Leahy Cartoons (@leahycartoons) May 17, 2017
. @realDonaldTrump and the wheels of justice. @roweafr 's latest cartoon. For more: https://t.co/D2Cj5SxEWu #Trump pic.twitter.com/oLVKB12Crk
— Financial Review (@FinancialReview) May 18, 2017
Red Carpet Treatment...! https://t.co/X5mEduxV6J pic.twitter.com/V0p9QgwLAr
— Gado Cartoons (@iGaddo) May 15, 2017
From PRI's The World ©2017 PRI
