Russell Vought has served as a Trump advisor since 2016 and later directed the Office of Management and Budget, where he cut funding for disability services, children’s health insurance and foreign aid. He is the principal author of Project 2025, a plan to enlarge presidential authority. The cartoon presents his progression from 2016 through 2026 as a deliberate effort to remove legal or moral restraints on executive action.
The cartoon depicts Donald Trump and his newly selected running mate JD Vance standing together under a large Trump Vance banner. Both wear ear bandages referencing the July 13 assassination attempt and make the OK hand gesture. The image captures the Republican ticket's launch at the 2024 convention following the attempt on Trump's life. It emphasizes continuity of the MAGA message and the pairing of the former president with the Ohio senator chosen to broaden appeal.
The cartoon depicts the Republican elephant with a MAGA cap holding a heart-shaped medical device. Inside the device is the profile of Donald Trump. Text in the upper left declares the party has the heart of a pig. The image appeared on January 14 2022 shortly after the 2020 election defeat and January 6 events. It uses surgical imagery to link the party to its former leader.
