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The Triad

The Problem With Trump *Isn’t* That He “Can’t Win”

The New York Post fails the Trump test. Again.

Jonathan V. Last's avatar
Jonathan V. Last
March 27, 2023∙ Paid
Upgrade to listen10 minutes
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(Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

1. Why Is Trump Bad?

Can you imagine being so morally blinkered, such a naked partisan, that you look at Donald Trump and reject him only because you think he can’t win?

That’s what Rupert Murdoch the NY Post editorial board thinks. They surveyed the entire list of horribles that Charlie went through this morning—the Very Fine People, the impeachments, the insurrection, the dinner with the neo-Nazi virgin, the call to overturn the Constitution, the incitement of violence, the praise of Putin and Xi—and concluded that they should reject Donald Trump and all his works . . .

Because he can’t win.

When Trump ran in 2016, he was an unknown entity.

Independents took a chance, wanting to break from the stagnant political machines that sought to anoint Hillary Clinton.

But he’s not a mystery anymore.

Americans know that Trump can’t stop himself from nursing piddling grudges and throwing out childish insults. . . .

Perhaps you don’t mind.

But there are plenty of middle-of-the-road voters who do. . . .

You want a leader who will fight for you?

Then you have to pick someone who can actually get elected.

That’s it. That’s the argument.

And in it, you see the perfect distillation of how we got here. Because when “winning” is your only locus for moral clarity, then you will excuse anything.


Let’s start with the obvious:

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