Trump as we've known him
Graeme MacKay's selected work from 2024
Graeme Gallery 2024: Donald Trump
As 2024 unfolded, Donald Trump’s return to the political spotlight felt both inevitable and surreal, a drama blending reality TV theatrics with high-stakes global consequences. From MAGA sermons masquerading as sacred texts to debate antics that blurred the line between farce and fear, Trump dominated the year’s headlines with his signature chaos and controversy. Yet beneath the bluster lies a chilling reality: his November victory cemented his place in the annals of history, for better or worse. Whether this chapter will be remembered as a fleeting spectacle or a pivotal turning point remains an open question—one fraught with both hope and foreboding. Here are 20 cartoons I drew from the past year - and though I view the U.S. and its Presidents from a distance in a neighbouring country, and though I try to temper my focus on domestic issues as much as possible, there's no escaping this distraction:
Saturday, December 9, 2023: Trump’s evolution from outsider to fanatical ringleader highlights a chilling trend: his supporters have traded hope for hostility, making civility a relic of the past.
Thursday, January 25, 2024: As the GOP whittles down to a Trump vs. Haley face-off, the delegates' choice feels less like democracy and more like picking an autocrat from a global strongman catalog.
Saturday, February 10, 2024: The 2024 election pits Biden’s fading focus against Trump’s authoritarian impulses—a contest where democracy itself is the underdog.
Tuesday, February 13, 2024: Trump’s flirtation with Putin and dismissal of NATO's role leaves Canada eyeing its southern neighbour nervously—when the bear hugs the eagle, the beaver braces for impact.
Tuesday, April 2, 2024: The “God Bless the USA Bible” is less about scripture and more about MAGA scripture: nationalism cloaked in sanctimony and sold for profit.
Thursday, May 30, 2024: Trump’s scandals ebb and flow like the tides, but the shoreline of his legacy remains murky. Even the engraver isn’t sure what to chisel into the stone.
Saturday, June 29, 2024: Biden stumbles in the debate while Trump charges ahead, leaving democracy asking: where’s the deep state when you really need a Hail Mary?
Thursday, August 1, 2024: J.D. Vance’s retrograde rhetoric and Trump’s lacklustre strategy feel like a bad rerun, while Kamala Harris scripts a new chapter for America’s future.
Saturday, August 17, 2024: As Trump and his crew hurl insults at Kamala Harris, her steady rise proves that bullies only win if you let them.
Thursday, August 29, 2024: Legal storms loom larger than debates for Trump, making the 2024 election less about democracy and more about defining presidential accountability.
Thursday, September 12, 2024: Kamala Harris mops the floor with Trump in their first debate, but as always, debates seem more like theatre than a deciding factor for voters.
Friday, September 20, 2024: Trump jokes about siphoning Canadian water to California until, inevitably, the joke starts feeling uncomfortably real for Canada.
Saturday, September 28, 2024: Trump’s proposal to hand Ukraine’s sovereignty to Putin shows he’s a fighter—but only when the fight serves his own interests or his favourite autocrats.
Tuesday, October 22, 2024: Trump’s chaotic campaign exposes how far America’s standards have fallen, proving his return wouldn’t be an anomaly but a grim new normal.
Saturday, October 26, 2024: With Musk, Trump, and Putin seemingly plotting from the same playbook, the world feels less like a democracy and more like a dystopian spy novel.
Friday, November 1, 2024: Kamala Harris’ coalition-building faces a wild card: Democrats and Republicans are both playing host to defectors from their more extreme counterparts.
Thursday, November 7, 2024: Trump’s promises of a “Golden Age” ring hollow to anyone eyeing the four horsemen galloping in the distance.
Thursday, November 14, 2024: Trump’s second-term cabinet feels less like governance and more like a royal court, as loyalty trumps qualifications.
Tuesday, December 10, 2024: Assad’s fall shakes the foundations of Trump’s allies, but the president-elect seems more focused on his golf game than Middle East geopolitics.
Thursday, December 12, 2024: Trump’s diplomatic style—more taunt than tact—puts Canada on notice. The wheel of torment spins on, and Canada’s turn is up.
As Trump prepares to reenter the White House, the world holds its collective breath. His second term promises to test the resilience of American democracy and global stability, with humanity poised on the edge of history’s unfolding judgment. Will this era be an inconsequential ripple, quickly absorbed into the tide of time, or a seismic shift with ramifications that reshape the course of humanity? The answer, as ever, depends on the choices we make, the lessons we learn, and the strength we summon in the face of uncertainty. For now, the world watches, waits, and hopes—for history to be kinder than it feels today.
Graeme Galleries: Trump 2020 | Trump 2019 | Trump 2018 | Trump 2017
Hello, friends!
As 2024 winds down, I’m excited to share my editorial cartoons through The Graeme Gallery, my Substack newsletter inspired by a cherished Hamilton Spectator tradition. For 28 years, I’ve used cartoons to recap the year’s big stories—locally and globally—with humour and insight.
These annual retrospectives are the inspiration for what I now offer weekly on Substack: newsletters delivered every Saturday, summarizing the week’s events through my cartoons. Subscriptions are free while I remain a staff cartoonist with legacy media.
This year-end series kicks off December 26 with four special posts:
* Dec. 26: Ontario’s key moments.
* Dec. 27: Canada’s ups and downs.
* Dec. 28: The cost-of-living crisis.
* Dec. 29: Donald Trump’s 2024 antics.
Thank you to the 100+ subscribers who’ve already joined—your support keeps this art form alive. Please spread the word, and let’s celebrate satire together.
Happy holidays and here’s to a bright 2025!
—Graeme