Chelsea Clinton on Wednesday criticized a cartoon which depicts Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's 10-year-old daughter, Liza.
The left-wing cartoonist, Chris Britt, faced backlash over the weekend for that cartoon that showed Kavanaugh's daughter, leading the daughter of the 42nd president to say Liza should be left alone.
"Please leave Judge Kavanaugh’s daughters alone. They do not belong in your cartoons, 'jokes', or skits," Clinton said. "If you can’t make your point about Judge Kavanaugh, whatever it may be, without bullying his kids, it’s not worth making."
Please leave Judge Kavanaugh’s daughters alone. They do not belong in your cartoons, 'jokes", or skits. If you can’t make your point about Judge Kavanaugh, whatever it may be, without bullying his kids, it’s not worth making. https://t.co/ABp0JolqbN
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) October 3, 2018
Britt's cartoon depicted a girl kneeling next to her bed and praying for God to forgive her father for being a rapist. It was a reference to how Kavanaugh told the Senate Judiciary Committee Liza had suggested they pray for Christine Blasey Ford, a woman accusing him of sexually assaulting her while they were in high school.
"Dear God, please forgive my angry, lying, alcoholic father for sexually assaulting Dr. [Christine] Ford," the cartoon's Liza says. Britt posted it online with Friday's date and the name of the Illinois Times, an alternative weekly newspaper based in Springfield.
The cartoon gained broader attention after a Twitter user wrote that it "contravenes every standard of decency in our society" and asked the Illinois Times to remove it.
According to a Facebook statement from the Illinois Times, Britt "is a regular contributor," but "not an employee and also engages in work for other publications across the country." The paper said it did not publish the cartoon.
Britt told the Washington Post he had received thousands of comments criticizing his cartoon, but he continued to defend it.
"Kavanaugh is the one who ushered his own daughter into the national conversation by telling us his story" about her prayer, said Britt. "The cartoon is not about his daughter — it’s about Brett Kavanaugh’s possible heavy drinking, his anger and his possibly sexually assaulting Doctor Ford."
"That’s what we do in this business," Britt continued. "I based my cartoon on [Ford’s] testimony — I happen to believe what she said. Her testimony was credible and thoughtful, and that’s why I went where I did."
In his opening statement, Kavanaugh told the story of Liza's prayer when he said he meant no ill will toward Ford.
"I intend no ill will to Dr. Ford and her family," Kavanaugh said. "My daughter Liza said their prayers and little Liza, 10 years old — said to Ashley, we should pray for the woman, a lot of wisdom from a 10-year-old — we mean — we mean no ill will."