The resignation of Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes from The Washington Post has ignited discussions about the evolving media landscape and the paper's internal dynamics. Telnaes' departure followed the Post's refusal to publish her cartoon depicting prominent figures, including Post owner Jeff Bezos, seemingly appeasing President-elect Trump.

This incident follows the Post's controversial decision to abstain from endorsing a presidential candidate in the 2024 election, a first in decades. Axios reporter Alex Thompson, speaking on CNN, characterized the Post as being in "disarray," citing both the endorsement omission and Telnaes' exit as signs of change within the institution. Thompson noted the contrast between the Post's prominent role during the first Trump administration and its current state, marked by staff departures and internal tensions.

Telnaes, who joined the Post in 2008, announced her resignation on Substack. Her unpublished cartoon portrayed Bezos, other business leaders, and even Mickey Mouse bowing to Trump, seemingly offering bags of money. CNN's Kasie Hunt identified other figures in the cartoon as Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI's Sam Altman, and Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shing, who also refrained from endorsing a presidential candidate this cycle.

The image caption identifies the photo as the Washington Post building and credits Andrew Harnik/Getty Images.

Telnaes' departure adds to the recent upheaval at the Post, including staff resignations following Bezos's decision to prevent the editorial board from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. This move sparked controversy and was met with criticism from some within the media industry.

On CNN, contributor Brad Todd questioned the nature of Telnaes' protest, suggesting that a conservative cartoonist facing similar rejection would demonstrate true courage. He criticized what he perceived as an ideological bias, arguing that previous financial support for political candidates by figures like Bezos and Zuckerberg did not receive comparable scrutiny.

The caption identifies the image as a screenshot of Ann Telnaes' cartoon being discussed on CNN.

In her Substack post, Telnaes emphasized that while she had experienced editorial feedback in the past, this was the first time a cartoon was rejected due to its viewpoint, which she considered a concerning precedent for press freedom. Her cartoon's reference to Disney appears connected to ABC News's recent $15 million settlement with Trump, a development that has also drawn attention.