On September 11, 2001, editorial cartoonist Christopher Weyant faced a sudden deadline shift after the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Working from Washington, D.C., he checked on family and editors before creating one of the earliest cartoons responding to the events. The piece shows his personal struggle with a blank page that night and the resulting image of the Statue of Liberty standing vigil opposite Ground Zero. The cartoon marks the 25th anniversary by revisiting how the attacks altered the nation and the artist's own sense of purpose.
The cartoon depicts the Statue of Liberty, Uncle Sam and an AI robot seated in a 9/11 group therapy session on the 25th anniversary of the attacks. The Statue of Liberty holds a book marked July IV MDCCLXXVI and speaks of deepening loss since 2001. Uncle Sam echoes the sentiment of end days. The AI figure, labeled with a rising doomsday plot progress chart, retorts that the others have seen nothing yet. The scene uses national symbols to reflect persistent national trauma and emerging technological threats two and a half decades after the September 11 attacks.
Donald Trump repeatedly labels media coverage as fake news during press encounters. The cartoon responds by questioning the authenticity of his appearance and his approach to Iran policy. It portrays the disconnect between his public statements and underlying realities.
