The cartoon by Graeme MacKay contrasts Theodore Roosevelt's famous speak softly and carry a big stick approach with Donald Trump's version of yelling loudly and spinning a stick covered in tariffs. In the lower panel Trump appears dizzy from the motion as a Canadian hand offers toilet tissue labeled tariff-free wipes. The image comments on recent US tariff actions and their impact on Canadian trade relations as of the September 2026 publication date.
Rivers draws a colossal UFO dominating the sky above a cityscape, its underside detailed with mechanical textures and a central depression, while the top features antenna-laden structures. The caption "They want to know what happened to their weather balloons..." flips the script on recent events involving NORAD, weather balloons, spying, UFO, aliens, UAP, interception, shoot downs, USAF, national defense, and the Chinese spy balloon. Cartoonists love these timely absurdities, where real-world tensions over aerial intrusions get a humorous extraterrestrial twist. The image captures that dry irony, with the alien craft's imposing presence contrasting the mundane city below, poking fun at official explanations and public paranoia. It's a classic setup for editorial commentary on surveillance and overreactions.
