The former President Donald Trump’s recent trial saw an unexpected protagonist amidst its proceedings: veteran sketch artist, William J. Hennessy Jr.
Known for his expertise in courtroom sketches, Hennessy’s illustration of Trump caused the leftists to have a meltdown.
According to Urban Dictionary, “Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) is a mental condition in which a person has been driven effectively insane due to their dislike of Donald Trump, to the point at which they will abandon all logic and reason.”
As soon as Hennessy’s sketches were made public, Trump haters began dissecting and critiquing them. They lambasted Hennessy for his perceived bias in Trump’s favor. Some accused Hennessy of romanticizing Trump’s appearance, while others questioned whether the artist was referencing dated photographs of the former president.
“Clearly William J. Hennessy Jr. thinks Trump is young and thin…,” one user wrote.
Another user wrote, “Tbh it’s not that it’s wildly inaccurate, it just looks like the sketch artist Bill Hennessy was going off of a photo of Trump from 40 years ago.”
Another compared his work to another artist.
I like Jane Rosenberg’s sketch from Trump’s NY arraignment better. pic.twitter.com/fk1HaThuu4
— Karen James (@leBricolage) June 14, 2023
Below are the sketches from Hennessy Jr.
Courtroom sketch by William Hennessy, Jr. of Donald Trump’s appearance in federal court today. pic.twitter.com/d0XeRUMI8Q
— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) June 13, 2023
Trump in federal court today via sketch artist Bill Hennessy. pic.twitter.com/uk2f1i6c9q
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 13, 2023
In an interview with Boston Globe, Hennessy defended his work, saying, “I just draw what I see.”
The seasoned artist maintained his stance, asserting that his intention was to present an accurate depiction of the courtroom scene, not to flatter or offend any individual.
The outlet reported:
“It’s rare I get any kind of feedback,” Hennessy said in a phone interview.
The artist said he’d received mixed reviews (about ’fifty-fifty’ he said) of his sketches of Trump — some good, some bad.
“Some said he looked too thin, too young, and some said he looked too good,” Hennessy said, noting that the negative feedback seemed to come from people who “didn’t care much for Trump.”
He said he wasn’t trying to make Trump look any better than he does. His goal is to capture the scenes in the courtroom like a camera would.
“I don’t editorialize,” he said. “I just draw what I see.”
Hennessy said cameras and phones weren’t allowed inside the courthouse building at all, which made it “a bit of a challenge” to communicate with the outside world.
“It was a pretty stressful day, a long day,” he said.