Political Cartoon by Maria Grasmick
The “Nothing Burger” That Sparked a Political Firestorm: Reexamining the 2019 Whistleblower Complaint
Tulsi Gabbard Whistleblower complaint
I Drew This Years Ago too… Now Everyone Is Talking About It Again
The 2019 Whistleblower Complaint and the Word “Credible”
Back in 2019, the impeachment of President Donald Trump moved forward on the basis of a whistleblower complaint described as credible.
That word did a lot of work.
It pushed the story forward.
It shaped how people understood what was happening.
It carried authority.
But looking back now and especially after hearing Tulsi Gabbard revisit it you start to ask:
What did “credible” actually mean?
Because a lot of what was being discussed wasn’t firsthand.
It was second hand.
Reported. Repeated. Passed along. Like little birds of gossip.
Why I Drew the “Nothing Burger”
When I was sketching this concept, I kept coming back to one idea:
something being accepted before being examined.
YES
A claim that gets built up, passed around, and treated as substantial… without anyone really opening it up to see what’s inside.
In the cartoon, Michael Atkinson isn’t questioning it.
He’s eating it.
Accepting it. Processing it. Moving forward with it.
Procedure vs. Reality
One of the things that stood out to me from the discussion is the idea that:
“I followed the law.”
Okay.. but that raises a bigger issue.
Is following procedure the same as verifying truth?
Because those are not the same thing.
And that’s where the tension is:
- Second-hand information elevated
- No clear verification shown
- Trust assumed instead of demonstrated
At some point, something gets labeled… and that label sticks.
The Birds (They’re Not Random)
People keep asking about the birds.
They’re not just decorative.
They’re Egyptian style ibis figures.. inspired by the sacred bird of Thoth, associated with writing and truth. RECORD KEEPING. You know them! I crossed them with Parrots.
But I flipped the meaning.
Instead of recording truth, they’re:
repeating what they hear
Almost like parrots do.
One is reacting.
The other is listening.
Together, they form a kind of quiet chorus:
second-hand information in motion
Yes.. That’s Ukraine in the Background
The blue and yellow tones are intentional.
They reference Ukraine.. but subtly.
Not a flag. Not obvious.
Just enough to ground the scene in:
- the Trump Ukraine call
- the origin of the whistleblower complaint
It’s there if you notice it.
How I Actually Drew This
This part matters to me.
I don’t just sketch straight through.
I:
- move elements around
- write text in different directions
- sometimes write backwards or upside down
Why?
Because when I flip it back, I can see if the composition is balanced.
My handwriting leans, so I correct for that visually.
Later, I refine it with clearer lettering sometimes using a 17th-century American-style font for that historical weight.
Why This Feels Relevant Again
What’s strange is drew this years ago.
And now, suddenly, people are talking about these same details again.
Names are resurfacing.
Questions are being asked again.
It feels current but it isn’t new.
That’s the part that sticks with me.
This Isn’t Just About 2019
What this really comes down to is something bigger:
How does something become “true” in public discourse?
Is it:
- verified?
- or repeated enough to feel real?
Because those are not the same thing.
Final Thought
This cartoon isn’t trying to settle the argument.
It’s doing something else:
It’s asking whether credibility was earned… or assigned.
And once you start asking that, you start looking at everything differently.
If you want to see where this all started—
including my original 2019 cartoons, early sketches, and behind-the-scenes process—visit my Substack.
I’ve archived the evolution of these ideas as they were happening in real time.
The “Nothing Burger” That Shaped History: Reexamining the 2019 Whistleblower Narrative
And here are some links if you want to hear the interview:
And if you want to hire me for a Cartoon?
Commissions – Maria Grasmick | Political Cartoonist Collector Works & Commissions
