Trump is ‘Dangerous’ and ‘Unfit to Lead,’ Declares New York Times Editorial Board
The New York Times editorial board issued a harsh condemnation of former President Donald Trump in a scathing op-ed republished Monday. The editorial, originally published on July 11, underscores Trump’s unsuitability for the presidency, questioning his fitness to serve a second term as the Republican Party’s nominee.
“For the third time in eight years, Donald Trump will be nominated as the Republican Party’s candidate for president of the United States,” the editorial board wrote. “A once great political party now serves the interests of one man, a man as demonstrably unsuited for the office of president as any to run in the long history of the Republic.”
The op-ed criticized Trump’s values, temperament, ideas, and language, stating they are “directly opposed to so much of what has made this country great.” The board called Trump’s nomination a “chilling choice against this national moment.”
The editorial also denounced the Republican Party for abandoning its traditional principles—values of freedom, sacrifice, individual responsibility, and the common good—in favor of Trumpism. “The Republican Party had an opportunity to renounce Trumpism; it has submitted to it,” the board lamented, adding that the party’s leaders have repeatedly failed to repudiate Trump’s violent discourse.
The op-ed highlighted growing concerns among many, including former officials who served under Trump, about his fitness for office. The board expressed particular concern over Trump’s language, noting that even Republican primary voters and independents have been alienated by it.
The Times editorial board did not hold back in its critique of Trump’s morals, character, honesty, and fidelity to the law, warning that he would likely try to subvert the results of the upcoming election just as he did in 2020. “In the four years since losing the election, Mr. Trump has become only more determined to subvert the rule of law,” the board wrote. They pointed to his attempts to delay federal prosecution and his reliance on sympathetic judges to avoid legal consequences.
The editorial concluded with a plea to Americans to consider Trump’s record as president and the implications of his return to office. “The case against Mr. Trump is extensive, and this board urges Americans to perform a simple act of civic duty in an election year: Listen to what Mr. Trump is saying, pay attention to what he did as president, and allow yourself to truly inhabit what he has promised to do if returned to office.”