President Donald Trump held a news conference with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to promote an unproven link between Tylenol, vaccines and autism. “Don’t take Tylenol,” Trump instructed pregnant women around a dozen times. Medical experts said Trump’s remarks were irresponsible.
Mike Luckovich leads this week’s editorial cartoon gallery with another use for acetaminophen tablets: to block one’s ears from the president’s pronouncements. Drew Sheneman depicts a group of people in lab coats representing the Politically Motivated Science Administration. In Bill Bramhall’s view, RFK Jr. is worm popping out of Trump’s head. David Horsey’s “Make America Healthy Again” doctor dispenses old-timey treatments, like leeches.
The week’s other big story was the return of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to the airwaves. ABC/Disney had suspended Kimmel over his remarks about the slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. It sparked an uproar about free speech. Bramhall shows a couple in bed. “Who cares if the government cancels TV shows. We can still read an approved book,” the husband says to his wife. Luckovich shows the Founding Fathers cheering Kimmel from heaven. Michael Ramirez shows the Constitution riddled with arrows, while the target labeled “hate speech” in front of it is unscathed.
Other topics in this week’s gallery include the federal indictment of former FBI director James Comey at the direction of the president; Democrats’ chilly reception of Kamala Harris’ campaign memoir; and the “rapture” that wasn’t.
Cartoons were drawn by Jack Ohman, Nick Anderson, Bill Bramhall, Dana Summers, Drew Sheneman, Walt Handelsman, David Horsey, Phil Hands, Joel Pett and Joey Weatherford of Tribune Content Agency; and Mike Luckovich, Steve Breen and Michael Ramirez of Creators Syndicate.