The Star Tribune is defending a cartoon (pictured below) that conservatives in Minnesota are calling a “sexist” depiction of President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka.
The cartoon was drawn by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Steve Sack in response to Ivanka Trump’s prominent role at the recent G-20 summit in Japan.
“It’s shocking to see The Star Tribune editorial board greenlight a cartoon that perpetuates antiquated stereotypes about women and their role in politics, but I’m not surprised,” RNC regional spokesperson Preya Samsundar said in a statement.
“It’s no secret that there continues to be a double-standard when it comes to partisan editorial cartoons, but I hope The Star Tribune will think hard about how their cartoons contribute to future conversations on women in politics—no matter their political affiliation,” she added.
Samsundar noted that President Trump was represented by an all-female negotiating team at the G-20.
Others expressed their frustration with The Star Tribune on Twitter.
“Uhhh … sexist much, Star Tribune?” said Jake Schneider, former spokesperson for State Sen. Karin Housley’s (R-St. Mary’s Point) unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign.
Uhhh…. Sexist much, @StarTribune? pic.twitter.com/ydLkmQHxvz
— Jake Schneider (@jacobkschneider) July 2, 2019
Scott Gillespie, opinion editor for The Star Tribune, said that the cartoon initially gave him “pause,” but argued that cartoonists “have feasted on various stereotypes for decades, much to the delight of some readers and the dismay of others.”
From @StribOpinion editor @stribgillespie on Sack cartoon. Commentary on photo, cartoon in link. https://t.co/sFHJqkRitH pic.twitter.com/mTraQdRbDx
— Vince Tuss (@vtuss) July 3, 2019
“But how far should a cartoonist—or a columnist for that matter—go in criticizing a politician’s family member?” Gillespie said in a statement. “Sack’s critique of Ivanka Trump’s performance in Osaka is ‘edgy,’ but she has chosen to take an increasingly prominent role in her father’s administration and, in my opinion, her role at the G-20 was both odd and noteworthy.”
Gillespie later pointed out on Twitter that The Star Tribune recently ran a cartoon critical of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) anti-Semitic comments, but Samsundar wasn’t pleased with his response.
“This is a sad response from Strib Opinion, but not surprising,” she wrote on Twitter. “If you look through their cartoons, they never criticize Dem women in the same light. There is a double standard here that is motivated by partisan politics.”
This is a sad response from @StribOpinion, but not surprising. If you look through their cartoons, they never criticize Dem women in the same light. There is a double standard here that is motivated by partisan politics. https://t.co/vabhYV65zM
— Preya Samsundar (@psamsundar) July 3, 2019
The cartoon remains published on The Star Tribune’s website, and can be viewed here.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
