The New York Times’s editorial board has issued a strongly-worded denunciation of Donald Trumpas the presidential election looms, telling readers the Republican nominee “is unfit to lead” and a serial liar whose policies are “cruel” and will only “wreak havoc” on the nation.
Without explicitly endorsing his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in the piece, the board wrote a searing 112-word op-ed warning of a possible Trump second term.
“You already know Donald Trump. He is unfit to lead. Watch him. Listen to those who know him best,” it reads.
“He tried to subvert an election and remains a threat to democracy. He helped overturn Roe, with terrible consequences.
“Mr Trump’s corruption and lawlessness go beyond elections: It’s his whole ethos. He lies without limit.”
The brief but damning statement continues: “If he’s re-elected, the GOP won’t restrain him. Mr Trump will use the government to go after opponents. He will pursue a cruel policy of mass deportations.
“He will wreak havoc on the poor, the middle class and employers. Another Trump term will damage the climate, shatter alliances and strengthen autocrats. Americans should demand better. Vote.”
The move by the NYT’s board to issue so strong a rebuke to Trump came the same weekend that the candidate joked about journalists being shot at during a rally in Macon, Georgia, and after rival outlets like The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and USA Today faced heavy criticism for declining to make an endorsement this year.
The decision by the Post in particular caused uproar, with reports emerging that it had lost as many as 250,000 subscribers in response to the decision, equating to 10 percent of its digital readership.
The outcry prompted owner Jeff Bezos to respond in its editorial pages, arguing that presidential endorsements create a perception of bias at the newspaper without having a real influence on how readers vote.
Bezos said his only regret was in making the move so close to Election Day, when discourse around the election has already become heated.
The newspaper’s editorial staff had reportedly prepared an endorsement of Harris before the institution’s owner made his decision known, causing it to be pulled from publication.
As the race for the White House enters its final day with the outcome widely considered too close to call in the polls, both Trump and Harris are zeroing in on the pivotal swing state of Pennsylvania, with the Democrat holding a star-studded event in Philadelphia on Monday evening where she will be joined by Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Ricky Martin and The Roots.
Trump will meanwhile be campaigning in Reading and Pittsburgh before closing out in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
