Courtroom Sketch Artist Responds to Kayleigh McEnany’s Criticism of Trump Drawing
Courtroom sketch artist Elizabeth Williams has responded to former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who called her drawings of Donald Trump a “travesty.” McEnany made the comment during her appearance on Fox News’ panel show, The Five, where she discussed Trump’s $250 million civil fraud trial. McEnany advised Trump to ask for a better sketch artist because she believed the drawing did not resemble her former boss.
Williams, who has been drawing Trump in court since the 1980s, stated that criticism of court artists is becoming increasingly common. She revealed that when she first sketched Trump in the 1980s during the USFL/NFL trial, no one knew or cared about him. However, now that he has become a prominent political figure, the scrutiny has intensified.
Williams also mentioned that her artwork has faced criticism in the past. For instance, when she drew Trump in Miami, people criticized her for making him look too young. Additionally, one of her sketches of Trump on the witness stand ended up being the subject of a joke on Saturday Night Live, with Colin Jost calling Trump a “former president and current courtroom sketch model.”
Williams is one of several artists covering the trial, and she admitted that she has become accustomed to the criticism. She believes that “dumping on court artists” has become a part of their business.
During the segment on The Five, host Dana Perino defended Williams’ sketch, stating that she thought it looked good. However, co-host Greg Gutfeld jokingly compared a figure behind Trump in the drawing to comedian Louis CK.
This is not the first time that outside parties involved in the trial have faced attacks from Team Trump. Last week, Donald Trump Jr. asked a different courtroom artist to make him appear “sexy” in her illustration after testifying about his knowledge of his family company’s finances.
The trial, which involves New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case against Trump, has garnered significant attention. It seems that the courtroom sketch artists covering the proceedings have become targets of criticism along the way.
