There are 26 days until the election, and the facts point toward one truth: Former President Donald Trump is unfit for any public office. Trump’s policies will disadvantage many and threaten the fabric of American democracy. He has openly violated democratic norms, trafficked in abhorrent rhetoric that incites hate, and cozied up to dictators and enemies of American security.
Never before has there been a presidential candidate who so blatantly endangers the fundamental democratic norms of our country. Trump repeatedly denied the results of the 2020 election, calling it “rigged” and “stolen,” despite his own cybersecurity agency calling it the “most secure” election in American history. Even in his presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris just last month, he doubled down on these claims and refused to acknowledge that he lost. As the House Jan. 6th committee chairman put it, his rhetoric “lit that fire” that led to the insurrection at the Capital, where over 140 police officers were assaulted and American lawmakers barricaded themselves in the chambers for safety.
A President who is unwilling to admit when he has democratically lost and instead chooses to sow doubt in the nation’s elections is no President. He is an authoritarian who endangers democratic processes at every turn and will inevitably destroy the very system of government that the U.S. has safeguarded for centuries. The Editorial Board is not confident that Trump will give up power if elected again.
It is telling that the people who know Trump best — his Vice President, his third national security advisor, his second secretary of defense — have all strongly rebuked the former President’s actions. The people who had a front-row seat to his behavior have been able to put aside their partisan blinders to dismiss Trump as a viable candidate, and it is time Republicans across the country do the same.
Harris is not just the “other” candidate, but she also has endorsed policies that will benefit the American people domestically and internationally. Trump has strongly endorsed tariffs on imported goods, going so far as to propose a universal 20% tariff on all imports and tariffs ranging from 60% to 100% on goods from China, despite economists warning that every 1% increase in tariffs would spike the cost of consumer goods by 0.1%. In contrast, Harris has highlighted that these policies would hurt everyday Americans and has taken the more pragmatic view that tariffs should not be recklessly made universal. Harris advocates for targeted tax cuts, specifically for the over 100 million working Americans, while raising taxes on the ultra-wealthy. Goldman Sachs economists have also noted that her plan would be better for the economy than Trump’s.
Harris has been a strong advocate for abortion rights and has called for abortion protections to be codified into federal law, whereas Trump has flip-flopped on whether he would veto a federal abortion ban in the last few months. He appointed three Supreme Court justices, leading to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a decision that he has praised and one that has resulted in near-total abortion bans in many states.
Equally, if not more concerning, is the irreparable damage that a second Trump presidency will do to American global security and international stability. Trump has repeatedly praised authoritarian leaders, including Putin, Viktor Orbán and Kim Jong-Un. Harris played a role in mobilizing the military and financial support provided by the US to defend Ukraine from Russia’s unprovoked war. Trump, however, has been critical of the US aid for Ukraine, and has promised to find a deal for “both sides” in the war, even saying that he believes President Putin wants the war to stop. His coziness to an authoritarian leader is dangerous.
Regarding the Israel-Hamas war, Trump and Harris have both called for the hostages to be returned, but only Harris has called for a ceasefire while Trump has criticized such calls. While both candidates’ foreign policies lack detail, Harris has called attention to the suffering in Gaza and highlighted the plight of Palestinians. The Editorial Board believes that a Trump presidency will escalate existing conflicts.
His rhetoric is disqualifying for a presidential candidate and not without consequence. His recent claims that Haitian immigrants were eating cats and dogs in Ohio were backed up by nothing other than xenophobia and racism, and led to threats against schools and government buildings in the town. The words of a president matter and Trump has shown he is not worthy of this responsibility.
Trump has demonstrated an intolerance for the exchange of diverse ideas that higher education calls for. One focus of his plan is on universities like Hopkins, which he describes as havens for leftist indoctrination in academia. While the details of his plan remain vague, he has indicated that new standards for higher education will include "defending the American tradition and Western civilization," and protecting free speech. Experts in higher education have warned that Trump’s plan may infringe on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. A Trump presidency will undoubtedly change what your education will look like for the worse.
More than any previous election, this one is a test of American democracy, and one that we must answer by voting for Vice President Kamala Harris — the candidate who values political institutions, promotes American interests domestically and abroad, and who will responsibly wield the power of the Presidency.
The Editorial Board endorses Vice President Kamala Harris.
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