• Pat Oliphant, a cartoonist whose blunt work ridiculed powerful figures across five decades, died July 13, 2026, at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at age 90.
  • His son, Grant Oliphant, said the cause was age-related issues.
  • Oliphant’s cartoons appeared in more than 500 publications during the 1980s, and he was widely considered the most syndicated editorial cartoonist in the country.
  • His caricatures of presidents, including Jimmy Carter’s large teeth and Ronald Reagan’s cork in the ear, became enduring images of American political satire.

Pat Oliphant, whose blunt political cartoons ridiculed presidents from Lyndon B. Johnson to Donald Trump over five decades, died Monday at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 90. His son, Grant Oliphant, confirmed the death and said it was from age-related issues.

Oliphant was widely considered the most syndicated editorial cartoonist in the United States, with his work appearing in more than 500 publications during the 1980s, according to the Associated Press. His daily cartoons reached readers across the country and around the world, making him a defining figure in American political commentary.

A multidimensional artist, Oliphant also created sculptures, lithographs and oil paintings. But it was his editorial cartoons that earned him a reputation for merging shrewd political observation with a sharp wit. “Those who knew Oliphant said his gift was to merge the shrewdness of an observer of the political scene with a witty sense of humor into art,” the Associated Press reported.

He depicted Jimmy Carter with large teeth and lips, a caricature that became widely recognized as a symbol of the president. He also drew Ronald Reagan with a cork in his ear, an image many readers associated with the president’s perceived detachment. His work spanned the presidencies of Johnson through Trump.

Oliphant was among the most syndicated and recognized cartoonists of his era, and his caricatures left a lasting mark on American political commentary.