The New York Observer, the Manhattan weekly owned by Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump’s husband, announced its endorsement in the Republican presidential primary Tuesday. If you guessed that the name of the candidate the paper endorsed rhymes with “Ronald Mump,” you would be correct.
This appears to be Trump’s first and only newspaper endorsement. Other vellum-like endorsements include the Conservative Action Report, a racist newsletter dedicated to defending the “Confederate South,” and, of course, the National Enquirer, whose CEO is a friend of Trump’s.
Anticipating those who might question their impartiality, the editors of the Observer began their endorsement with a disclaimer: “Donald Trump is the father-in-law of the Observer’s publisher. That is not a reason to endorse him. Giving millions of disillusioned Americans a renewed sense of purpose and opportunity is.”
Meanwhile, in the Democratic primary contest, the New York Daily News endorsed Hillary Clinton over rival Sen. Bernie Sanders, calling her a “warrior realist.”
The Daily News’ editorial board interview with Bernie Sanders made headlines last week for its substantive grilling of the senator on specifics. (The board also met with Clinton.) The resulting impression, the board wrote in their endorsement of Clinton, was of a candidate “utterly unprepared for the Oval Office while confirming that the central thrusts of his campaign are politically impossible.”
Liz Johnstone