For many years I was an ardent fan of cartoonist Scott Adams. Between 2002 and 2016 I posted more than one hundred times. I read five of his books and count God’s Debris as one of my all time favorites.

In 2016 Adams became a vocal supporter of Donald Trump and —as far as I know— remained one until he died a couple of weeks ago. I asked Gemini if Adams’ support for Trump affected his career.

(Gemini) Scott Adams’ vocal support for Donald Trump, which began during the 2016 campaign, signaled a major pivot in his career that eventually led to a total breakdown of his traditional media presence. Initially, Adams gained a new kind of prominence as a “persuasion expert.” He analyzed Trump’s rhetorical style through the lens of hypnosis and influence, eventually publishing the 2017 book Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don’t Matter. This era marked his transition from a satirical cartoonist of office culture to a polarizing political commentator. However, the impact on his career was ultimately destructive to his primary business:

• Financial and Professional Loss: Adams himself stated in 2020 and 2023 that his support for Trump caused his licensing business and book sales to “wither to almost nothing.” He claimed his public speaking career, once a lucrative revenue stream, essentially ended due to his political associations.
• Total Syndication Collapse (2023): While his support for Trump alienated many, the final blow to his career came in February 2023. Following a series of racist remarks on his YouTube show Real Coffee with Scott Adams—where he referred to Black Americans as a “hate group”—hundreds of newspapers (including The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times) and his distributor, Andrews McMeel Syndication, severed all ties.
• Pivot to Alternative Platforms: After being dropped by mainstream media, Adams moved his work to the subscription-based platform Locals, rebranding the strip as Dilbert Reborn. He leaned further into the “anti-woke” commentary that had become the hallmark of his later years.

Scott Adams passed away on January 13, 2026, at the age of 68, following a battle with Stage 4 prostate cancer. In his final years, he had almost entirely transitioned from a mainstream cartoonist to a digital-first political influencer, maintaining a close relationship with the Trump administration and conservative media figures until his death.