The Economist announced Thursday that it would support Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump on her bid for the presidency. The endorsement comes after other major news outlets, like The Washington Post and the LA Times, came under fire for deciding not to do so.
The news organization, which tends to slightly lean left according to the news analysis website AllSides, said a second Trump presidency would carry "an unacceptable risk to America and the world."
"By making Mr. Trump leader of the free world, Americans would be gambling with the economy, the rule of law and international peace," the weekly newspaper said in an editorial. "If The Economist had a vote, we would cast it for Ms. Harris."
The outlet also acknowledged that some may disregard its warning of Trump as "alarmist," noting that economically, "our worst fears" about Trump's first term "did not come to pass" and the economy grew during his administration.
"Even when Mr Trump behaved abominably by fomenting an attack on the Capitol to try to stop the transfer of power on January 6th 2021, America's institutions held firm," the organization said. However, they argue, a second Trump term would be vastly different.
"Mr Trump's policies are worse, the world is more perilous and many of the sober, responsible people who reined in his worst instincts during his first term have been replaced by true believers, toadies and chancers," the editorial added.
The publication also argued that while Harris can be an "underwhelming" candidate, particularly noting her struggle to "tell voters what she wants to do with power," those flaws are merely "ordinary shortcomings, none of them disqualifying."
The Economist also acknowledged the lack of endorsements by some news publications.
"While some newspapers refused to back a presidential candidate this year, today The Economist is endorsing Kamala Harris," the newspaper's editors wrote. "Tens of millions of Americans will vote for Mr. Trump next week. Some will be true believers. But many will take a calculated risk that in office his worst instincts would be constrained."
Most notably, major news outlets like The Washington Post, which is owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, decided not to endorse a presidential candidate this campaign cycle. The decision sparked controversy, with some users calling out the Post's own slogan "Democracy Dies in Darkness." The post also reportedly lost more than 200,000 digital subscribers in light of its decision, according to NPR.
The Democratic nominee has also received endorsements from the New York Times, Boston Globe, Seattle Times, Las Vegas Sun, the New Yorker and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Trump has received support from the New York Post, a traditionally conservative outlet.
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