Politico is getting blasted online for a cartoon that critics say mocks Hurricane Harvey victims

Politico deleted a tweet on Wednesday with a cartoon showing a victim of Hurricane Harvey being rescued by a federal government emergency responder.

Drawn by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Matt Wuerker, the cartoon showed a person being rescued from a flooded-out house with a secessionist sign while wearing a Confederate flag shirt. A "Don't Tread On Me" flag is also pictured.

A rescuer in the cartoon points out that the helicopter rescuing people from their flooded homes was sent by the federal government.

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Politico deleted the tweet after many conservative pundits and writers at right-leaning websites criticized the cartoon, saying it was insensitive and shamed victims of the hurricane.

Wuerker defended his cartoon, arguing that the cartoon skewered secessionists and those who disparage the federal government writ-large while taking its services for granted.

Wednesday's cartoon wasn't the first time critics have admonished or mocked Wuerker.

Journalist Farhad Manjoo once described the Politico cartoonist's style as "a clichéd, pox-on-both-your-houses approach."

Neither Politico nor Wuerker returned Business Insider's request for comment.

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