The Wall Street Journal warned Republican nominee Donald Trump to get his act together in an editorial Monday, saying he and his supporters are facing a “moment of truth” as key swing states turn toward Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton.
“Mr. Trump has alienated his party and he isn’t running a competent campaign,” the editorial board wrote. “Mrs. Clinton is the second most unpopular presidential nominee in history — after Mr. Trump. But rather than reassure voters and try to repair his image, the New Yorker has spent the last three weeks giving his critics more ammunition.”
The Trump campaign has had another week of negative press, following reports interpreting Trump’s comment on “Second Amendment people” dealing with Clinton as a physical threat on her life, and other reports detailing dysfunction within the ranks of his campaign. New polls show Clinton with a solid lead in swing states, as well as she and Trump’s home state of New York.
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Trump lashed out at the media Sunday, saying he would be leading Clinton by 20 points if it weren’t for the “dishonest” media reporting.
If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016
My rallies are not covered properly by the media. They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016
I am not only fighting Crooked Hillary, I am fighting the dishonest and corrupt media and her government protection process. People get it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016
“Mr. Trump is right that most of the media want him to lose, but then that was also true of George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan,” the WSJ editorial board wrote. “It’s true of every Republican presidential nominee. The difference is that Mr. Trump has made it so easy for the media and his opponents.”
Trump’s lack of discipline and cash, and his strategy of relying on Twitter and massive rallies instead of a conventional ground game are the real issues with his campaign, the board wrote. His promised new leaf is nowhere in sight, and his off the cuff style obviously isn’t working.
“A mainstream GOP candidate who runs a reasonably competent campaign would have about a 66% chance of victory,” the board wrote, citing an historically accurate forecasting model. “Mr. Trump has alienated his party and he isn’t running a competent campaign.”
“If they can’t get Mr. Trump to change his act by Labor Day, the GOP will have no choice but to write off the nominee as hopeless and focus on salvaging the Senate and House and other down-ballot races,” WSJ concludes. “As for Mr. Trump, he needs to stop blaming everyone else and decide if he wants to behave like someone who wants to be President—or turn the nomination over to Mike Pence.”
This report, by Rachel Stoltzfoos, was cross-posted by arrangement with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
