After months of explaining away its ties to Trump, the weekly paper — owned by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner — formally endorsed the mogul-turned-candidate in a post written by the editorial board. The piece painted Trump as a heady mix of Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, a job creator who has built not only “great skyscrapers and gem-like skating rinks” but also “brands.”
But first, the elephant in the room: “Donald Trump is the father-in-law of the Observer’s publisher,” the endorsement began. “That is not a reason to endorse him. Giving millions of disillusioned Americans a renewed sense of purpose and opportunity is.”
What followed went a bit beyond the usual complimentary prose contained in a newspaper endorsement.
“The legacy of Donald Trump’s 30 years of leadership is everywhere — not only in the tall buildings that bear his name, but in the kitchens of the thousands of families supported by the jobs he’s created,” the editorial read.
The endorsement rattled off most of Trump’s own talking points, with a similar tone of impatience: the media is out to get him, his poll numbers will make your head spin, and he wants to move America in “a different, more promising direction,” i.e. the direction of Greatness (Again).
The piece makes no mention of the myriad positions Trump has taken, including his promise to build a wall along the Mexican border and ban Muslims from coming into the country. Also unmentioned is the candidate’s outwardly hostile attitude toward the media. (His campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, was recently charged with simple battery of a journalist.)
The Observer went to bat for Trump on his multiple aborted businesses, arguing that, if you think about it, the mogul’s failures just prove how successful he really is.
“Critics, particularly in the media, are quick to point out Mr. Trump’s less successful ventures: Trump University, Atlantic City casinos, Trump Airlines and branded products such as vodka and steaks,” the editorial wrote. “Having tried (and sometimes failed) at our own entrepreneurial ventures, we are far more inclined to put these ventures into perspective. As Robert Kennedy said, ‘Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.'”