The New York Times editorial board endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, calling her the “only patriotic choice” and her rival former President Donald Trump “unfit for any office.”
The group of opinion journalists who make up the board approved the decision Monday, with just over 30 days to go before the election, in what remains a razor-thin race for the White House.
“As a dedicated public servant who has demonstrated care, competence and an unwavering commitment to the Constitution, Ms. Harris stands alone in this race,” they wrote.
The New York Times immediately went after Trump with a blistering criticism and praised Harris, even though she did not sit down for an interview with the editors before they made a decision.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a rally in Las Vegas on September 29. The New York Times editorial board endorsed Harris on Monday, calling her the “only patriotic choice”
“It is difficult to imagine a candidate more unworthy to serve as President of the United States than Donald Trump,” the board wrote.
“He has proven himself morally unfit for an office that requires the holder to put the good of the nation above self-interest. “He has proven that he is not temperamentally suited to a role that requires the very qualities – wisdom, honesty, empathy, courage, self-control, humility, discipline – that he lacks most,” he continued.
The editorial also criticized the Republican presidential candidate for his criminal charges, for being 78 years old, and for his “fundamental lack of interest in policy and his increasingly bizarre group of associates.”
Later, his “undisguised fondness for dictatorships and the strongmen” was condemned and accused of undermining “public confidence in the outcome of the 2020 election,” which they said “culminated” in the 2021 attack on the Capitol .
They argued unless the voters reject him,’Trump will have the power to do deep and lasting damage to our democracy.”
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Erie, PA on September 29. The New York Times editorial board called him “unfit” for any office
Although the NYT editorial board offered a brutal attack on Trump, it did called Harris “more than a necessary alternative” and praised her for starting to prioritize helping Americans.
It contrasted her plans, which they said would “help Americans better afford things,” with Trump’s priorities, including tax cuts “that would mainly benefit the wealthy.”
The endorsement, however, was not without some criticism of the 59-year-old vice president’s campaign, noting that some voters have said they want “more unscripted meetings” to explain her “vision and policies.”
The editors suggested that the campaign may be trying to minimize unforced errors, but criticized the approach.
Although the New York Times editorial board supported Harris for president, it criticized her limited unscripted appearances and lack of access, warning that it could backfire.
“That strategy may ultimately win, but it is a disservice to the American people and its own record,” they wrote.
The warned “making the public feel shielded from tough questions, as Mr. Biden has been, could backfire by undermining her core argument that a capable new generation is ready to take the reins of power .’
Harris campaign senior spokesman Ian Sams appeared on CNN Monday morning following the endorsement, where he was asked to respond to the criticism.
Sams pointed to the vice president’s half-hour live interview last week on MSNBC and another podcast interview Harris did that came out Monday morning.
“So she will continue to speak to the American people in these types of settings and formats,” Sams said.
He also insisted that she will continue to answer questions from reporters on the campaign trail, even if access is limited to just a few questions she has answered along the way from so-called pool reporters traveling with her.
In response, the Trump campaign criticized the newspaper, calling the endorsement “about as useful as a moldy old dishcloth that hasn’t been cleaned in years.”
“They had to apologize in 2016 for misleading their readers and completely misinterpreting President Trump’s historic victory, but it appears they still haven’t learned their lesson,” Steven Cheung wrote. “Kamala Harris is endorsed by Fake News because she is phony, phony and unfit for office.”
The NYT endorsed Joe Biden for president in the 2020 general election, but not in the primaries, even though he spoke with the editors for an interview prior to their decision in late 2019.