Editorial cartoons for Nov. 17, 2024: Trump Cabinet picks; White House transition; Dem blame game

President-elect Donald Trump began naming members of his Cabinet, choosing among loyalists who supported his return to the White House.

Bill Bramhall leads the gallery with his view of Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, Sen. Marco Rubio, saying the country could have done worse with the partisan bomb-thrower Steve Bannon.

Joey Weatherford draws the “far-left” in meltdown, Wicked Witch of the West-style, over Trump’s choices. Several cartoonists remark on the choice of former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to head the Department of Justice, noting an ethics probe into alleged relationships with underage girls. Nick Anderson recalls South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s approach to handling a troublesome dog.

President Joe Biden welcomed Trump to the White House for a meeting about the transition, prompting Dana Summers to recall Biden’s sharp criticism of the former and future president. Bramhall hopes Trump leaves willingly in four years.

The post-election finger-pointing among Democrats continued, with entries from Joel Pett, Walt Handelsman, Phil Hands and others.

Another theme of this week’s editorial cartoons is the sharp divide between Republicans and Democrats over the election outcome. Mike Luckovich sums it up with two panels showing a reversal in upside-down flags, a common distress signal. Luckovich also revives Walt Kelly’s classic comic strip character Pogo, whose created the slogan “We have met the enemy and he is us” for an Earth Day poster in 1970.

Other topics in this week’s gallery include Trump’s shadow over U.N. climate talks; a federal court decision that blocked a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in schools; and the early start of the Christmas season, weeks before Thanksgiving.

Cartoons were drawn by Jack Ohman, Nick Anderson, Bill Bramhall, Dana Summers, Drew Sheneman, Walt Handelsman, David Horsey, Phil Hands, Joel Pett and Joey Weatherford of Tribune Content Agency; and Mike Luckovich, Steve Breen and Michael Ramirez of Creators Syndicate.