A cartoon published by Politico on Tuesday mocks Texans being rescued from flooding damage as God-obsessed, Confederate Tea Partiers who show insufficient appreciation for the government's assistance.
In the work by left-leaning cartoonist Matt Wuerker, a man with a Confederate flag t-shirt and a Tea Party flag is air-lifted from his flooded home on a helicopter. To complete the unsubtle imagery, the man's home contains a Texas flag reading, "Secede."
He yells, "Angels! Sent by God!" as he is taken to safety, while a disgruntled Coast Guard worker says, "Er, actually Coast Guard ... sent by the government."
The online response was overwhelmingly negative, with observers saying it was nasty, mean-spirited, and an inaccurate portrayal of Houston, which tends to vote Democratically.
https://twitter.com/MQSullivan/status/902947504030961664
https://twitter.com/AmeliaHammy/status/902948016079982593
You've obviously never been to Texas. Garbage person = garbage cartoon.
— JCF (@jcfris1) August 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/hboulware/status/902948210406285313
https://twitter.com/mcballz/status/902947853944881152
The only ignorance and stupidity I see here is the kind coming out of @politico. Retract and apologize. This is disgusting. @wuerker too. https://t.co/CL5rLs6JIV
— Brandon Morse (@TheBrandonMorse) August 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/ProducerKen/status/902949467611115521
Congratulations, you hired the woke equivalent of the Onion's cartoonist pic.twitter.com/jV1IdNOLfi
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) August 30, 2017
So, @wueker, apparently you don't know any Christians... or that Houston tends to be pretty liberal?
— (((Aaron 'Worthing" Walker))) (@AaronWorthing) August 30, 2017
This is how people like @wuerker at @politico see Texas
No matter people are drowning as we speak, they have to get their stupid insults in pic.twitter.com/s8ob8DP8ju
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) August 30, 2017
The very epitome of political bigotry aimed directly at people in peril.
Way to go, geniuses.https://t.co/TZ91O817mM
— D.W.Robinson - Vendetta Shakespeare of TWlTTER (@_DWRobinson) August 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/kylejack/status/902944112235749376
https://twitter.com/iptuttle/status/902949862890668032
https://twitter.com/iptuttle/status/902951322932170752
This is pathetic and insensitive to those afflicted by #HurricaneHarvey https://t.co/fAhgv52zEZ
— Gabriella Hoffman (@Gabby_Hoffman) August 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/kylejack/status/902944380960550912
Oh, government is doing all the rescuing, all the housing, all the donating?
What a miserable message. Shame on him, and you.
— Okay. (@corrcomm) August 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/UCCowboy/status/902943573804507136
Many of the storm victims being rescued from devastating damage to their homes have expressed gratitude to both their rescuers and God.
As the response grew, Wuerker tweeted the cartoon was meant to be a dig at secessionists, not all Texans.
Just trying to point out times like this we're lucky to have rescue services. Don't see how this takes away from private individuals heroism https://t.co/Tk4xCqyV0v
— Matt Wuerker (@wuerker) August 30, 2017
Respectfully--- it's making fun of the Secessionist movement. Not at all aimed at all Texans. https://t.co/aI4RxRNjFm
— Matt Wuerker (@wuerker) August 30, 2017
Politico deleted the tweet promoting the cartoon shortly afterward, although it is still up here.
UPDATED 2:12 P.M.: This article was updated with Wuerker's explanation for the cartoon and that the tweet promoting it was deleted.