Art

Politics Is a Drag

Sequins, satire, and star-spangled glamour collide in this glitter-drenched celebration of American history, remixed through Longshore’s fearless, irreverent imagination.

Slaying runway-worthy fierceness, this volume fantastically imagines all U.S. presidents as full-face drag fantasy—Founding Fathers serving powdered-wig pageantry, Lincoln glowing in rhinestoned resolve, and Obama radiating pure runway poise. Vivid color, electric detail, and unapologetic attitude burst from each portrait, painted in Longshore’s unmistakable pop-art maximalism dialed all the way up. Printed on luxurious, high-gloss pages, the portraits explode with glitter, bold color, and unapologetic sparkle, shining as brightly as the world they reimagine.

Never-before-published presidential paintings strut onto the page alongside hilarious stage names and captions, written with Longshore’s razor-sharp wit and a dash of historical mischief—including Baberaham Lickin’ (“Something about ‘Four scoreplay’”) and Herhearty Hooha (aka Herbert Hoover’s) “Sucks harder than the Great Depression.” This sassy commentary, paired with familiar figures remixed into drag royalty, reveals the campy contradictions stitched into the American experiment—and proves that satire ages far better than politics.

A subversive celebration of self-expression, queerness, and the theatrical spectacle of American power, the book stands as both homage and send-up—patriotic, playful, and joyously unrestrained. For collectors, pop-culture devotees, and fans of Longshore’s iconic audacity, it offers a winking reminder that history is always ripe for reinvention, especially when glitter is involved.

About The Author

Ashley Longshore is a New Orleans– and New York–based contemporary artist celebrated for her bold, vibrant, and unapologetically pop sensibility. Sasha Velour is an American drag queen, artist, actor, and stage and television producer.

  • Publish Date: September 01, 2026
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Category: Art - Individual Artists - Monographs
  • Publisher: Rizzoli Universe
  • Trim Size: 9-3/8 x 12-1/2
  • Pages: 160
  • US Price: $50.00
  • CDN Price: $67.50
  • ISBN: 978-0-7893-4663-6

Reviews

"...contains pop art portraits of every U.S. president dressed in drag, including a rhinestone-wearing Abraham Lincoln who goes by the stage name Baberaham Lickin’." — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"After seeing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s once-clichéd felines rise from the dead and fly into death drops, why not give another hoary old standard some whored up glam? Surely you remember the Disney parks’ old Hall of Presidents? Well, illustrator Ashley Longshore presents a veritable ball of Presidents with the fabulously feminized images in Politics Is A Drag (Rizzoli Universe. $50. ashleylongshore.com). The pop art dynamo, who has collaborated with fashion brands including Gucci and Christian Siriano has created a hardbound collection of fanciful presidential portraits, a rouged rogues gallery. From a posh-wigged Washington to a tangerine-tousled Trump. Longshore plays with the image of presidential power by cheekily reimagining chief execs as drag personae: Machismo and marginalization, severity and swagger, figurehead emptiness and fierce substance are all set in dizzying play by the artist’s unexpected takes. While this book would be delightful to discover on a coffee table in the Oval Office, it’s more likely to be found regaling guests when they visit your own home throne room." — PASSPORT MAGAZINE

"The artist Ashley Longshore has a new book, Politics Is a Drag, that reimagines every US President as a drag queen. The idea was born out of Longshore’s frustration with the country’s political climate and a desire to create something uplifting instead of despairing." — WASHINGTONIAN

Author Bookshelf: Ashley Longshore