Daniel Cameron claps back at Herald-Leader over “race-baiter” cartoon depicting him with lightened skin

Lexington, Ky.–Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican and candidate in this year’s gubernatorial race, has responded strongly to a cartoon published by the Lexington Herald-Leader. The cartoon depicted Cameron, who is Black, in a racist manner and appeared to mock Christians.

Cameron took to Twitter to express his outrage.

Tell me you’re a race baiter, a hater of Christians, and a mocker of faith, all in one cartoon…I present Joel Pett, Herald Leader, as exhibit A. He is nothing but a mouthpiece for the Democrat party. Shame on him and the Herald Leader for allowing this filth.

Daniel Cameron on Twitter, April 27.

In the cartoon, Cameron is portrayed with lighter skin than in real life, wearing a backwards “Make America Great Again” hat, and making a statement about letting people die during a pandemic if he were governor. The scene is set in a church, with a figure resembling Jesus Christ nailed to a cross in the background.

Joel Pett, the author of the controversial cartoon, faced criticism previously in 2019 for a cartoon depicting former President Donald Trump wearing a Ku Klux Klan robe, with Cameron also depicted with lighter skin, holding the robe’s tail.

Cameron also released a statement condemning the “liberal media” for targeting him as a Black conservative. He accused them of being afraid of a Black Christian conservative becoming the Governor of Kentucky and resorting to mocking his Christian faith in order to maintain their power.

Herald-Leader editor and general manager Pete Baniak did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

The Kentucky primary election is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 16.