The New York Post endorsed President Trump for a second term on Monday, nearly two weeks after breaking the story about a laptop that purportedly belonged to Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
In the editorial announcing the endorsement, the conservative-leaning outlet cited the economy before the coronavirus pandemic, Trump’s anti-globalist stance, and his record of judicial appointments and defended his handling of the COVID-19 health crisis. The New York Post also warned that if Biden wins the presidency, he would act as a conduit for the “socialist left,” which the paper said “are salivating at the possibility of pushing through their agenda.”
“[Trump has] defended pride in American values against those who slander our entire nation as a racist enterprise,” the New York Post wrote. “Most importantly, throughout his time in office and culminating with the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, Trump’s judicial appointments promise to curb the leftward shift of the courts and the activism that Democrats have come to count on. The left has achieved through legal decisions what it couldn’t through legislation.”
The editorial board also touted Trump’s foreign policy decisions.
“As promised, Trump has not entangled us in new foreign wars, and has been pulling us out of the old ones. He cajoled Mexico to handle immigration caravans from Central America, and successfully pushed NATO allies to pay more of their commitments. When journalists write that the United States has ‘lost its standing in the world,’ they usually mean our standing at Davos cocktail parties. For the rest of us, it’s clear that Trumpism is focused on pursuing what’s best for our country,” the New York Post wrote.
The endorsement was not all positive. The editorial board criticized Trump’s social media habits, saying, “He’s vainglorious and thin-skinned. He cannot change, and nothing we say will curb those impulses — though we acknowledge that considering how frequently Democrats have pushed discredited theories about Russian collusion and insulted his every action, Trump can be forgiven for being angry.”
But the outlet coupled the criticism by asking, “What matters more: words or actions?” The answer: “We’re choosing to focus on President Trump’s actions and accomplishments. He has kept his promises.”
Trump thanked the New York Post on Twitter.
Thank you! #MAGA https://t.co/4hBUMgeAHi
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 26, 2020
Earlier this month, the outlet published personal communications involving Biden’s son, Hunter, related to his foreign business dealings and more. The reporting has raised questions about whether the former vice president was being untruthful when he said he never discussed his son’s professional dealings with him. Since the New York Post broke the story, Biden has denied having any involvement in foreign business with family and decried what he called a “smear campaign.”
Although Democrats and former intelligence officials have sought to portray the leaks as Russian disinformation, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said last week he has not seen any evidence of such a campaign being involved. Neither Biden nor his son Hunter has denied the authenticity of the computer materials.
