‘A Disgrace to Journalism in America’: James Carville Blasts WaPo Editor for Spiking Cartoon

Longtime political strategist James Carville took aim at both House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and the editorial page editor of The Washington Post during a Sunday appearance on MSNBC with host Jen Psaki. Carville’s sharp critique quickly shifted from attacking Johnson, whom he labeled a “bald-faced liar,” to blasting the editorial judgment at The Washington Post, particularly regarding a controversy involving Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes.

Telnaes recently announced that she was resigning after 16 years at the newspaper following an incident where her latest cartoon was spiked by op-ed editor David Shipley. The cartoon in question depicted The Washington Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos, bowing before a statue of President-elect Donald Trump. The controversy erupted after the piece was pulled, sparking intense backlash from readers and media figures alike.

Shipley responded to the controversy, offering an explanation for his decision. “Not every editorial judgment is a reflection of a malign force. My decision was guided by the fact that we had just published a column on the same topic as the cartoon and had already scheduled another column — this one a satire — for publication. The only bias was against repetition,” Shipley said.

However, Carville was not convinced by Shipley’s defense. He told Psaki, “Let’s be very forceful and let’s be very upfront here…the billionaire class in this country has exercised such power that they got rid of the cartoonists at The Washington Post, okay?” He went on to criticize the undue influence that powerful figures like Bezos have over editorial decisions, adding, “They are having editorial sway over a cartoon that runs. I grew up with Conrad, Herblock, studied Thomas Nast.”

Carville also voiced his strong disapproval of Shipley’s actions, calling them “a disgrace to journalism in America” and expressing disbelief that Shipley could “possibly get up in the morning” after such a decision. The Washington Post, particularly its editorial page, has faced increasing scrutiny in recent months.

Critics pointed to an incident prior to the election when Bezos allegedly intervened to stop the paper from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, leading to a significant reader exodus. The latest cartoon controversy adds fuel to the growing concerns over editorial independence at the publication.