I’ll admit it: When Splinter’s Jim Vorel referenced the “leopards eating faces” idiom last month, I had no idea what he was talking about. It’d passed my e-zeitgeist by. (If you’re also lost, here’s an explanation.)
Now that I’ve been caught up to speed, however, I’ve realized few metaphors are so fitting in the era of Trump 2.0, what with a bunch of voters, politicians, and podcasters wondering how on earth the guy who claimed an election he’d lost was “stolen” could possibly be drooling over every possible power grab in sight. And why on earth they propelled him there in the first place. The consequences! They’re of your own actions!
Alas, the biggest leopard patsy this week has been none other than Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fl.), who on Thursday aired an ad criticizing the president and his immigration policies. Notably, from a deep-red district that, in 2024, gave Salazar a win by nearly 21 points and Trump one by 15.
“Mr. President,” she said, “Some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far. The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”
Whiiich… brings me this week’s Comment of the Week, by @goose gaskins:
“…the end of her ad featuers a leopard, thrown directly at her from off screen, devouring Salazar’s face.”
He was actually very clear about what he was going to do. Maybe you should have leveled with your constituents about what you were supporting bsky.app/profile/phil…
— Adam Serwer (@adamserwer.bsky.social) September 17, 2026 at 4:06 PM
I mean, fair enough! Because aside from the fact that Salazar’s ad proves a bellwether for how unbelievably bad a shitstorm the GOP is about to face in the midterms, this is really just another reminder that maybe, just maybe, the leopards don’t have your best interests at heart.
