The cartoon by John Cole published April 21, 2025, shows a school district perched on Donald Trump's head, waving a resist sign. Large text reads Teach Freely and D.E.I. Hard. The image responds to ongoing disputes between the Trump administration and public schools over diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Schools have pushed back against federal efforts to limit such initiatives and related discussions of race, gender and pronouns. The parody draws on the Die Hard film series to frame the resistance.
The cartoon depicts the Harvard University crest with its traditional books replaced by ones spelling out a profane rejection. Published amid tensions between the university and the Trump administration over diversity programs, the image captures institutional pushback. The visual replaces the Latin motto with blunt English words across the three books on the red shield. This directly references recent disputes involving federal funding conditions and campus policy reforms. The artist's signature appears at the bottom left with a Cagle.com credit.
Donald Trump tells a reporter that his businesses hired only on merit and competency with no DEI. Three adult children labeled Don Jr., Eric and Ivanka stand to the right. The scene references ongoing discussions about hiring practices in the Trump administration and related business entities as of March 2025.
The cartoon shows a gray helicopter marked with DEI on its rotor housing. The image responds to discussions around the Department of Government Efficiency reviewing federal programs including diversity initiatives at agencies like USAID following a January 2025 midair collision near Reagan National Airport.
