The New York Post Editorial Board published a piercing op-ed and newspaper cover late on Sunday urging President Donald Trump to accept the results of the recent election, saying that he was damaging himself by not doing so.
The piece began by calling on Trump to “end this dark charade” of trying to overturn the election result, warning that if he continues down this road he could end up undoing many of his accomplishments if he does not unite the Republican Party ahead of the U.S. Senate runoff races in Georgia next month. The New York Post said that Trump was essentially “cheering for an undemocratic coup” in the presidential election.
“Sidney Powell is a crazy person,” the New York Post wrote. “Michael Flynn suggesting martial law is tantamount to treason. It is shameful.”
The New York Post, which is consistently ranked as one of top five most circulated papers in the country, urged Trump to focus on the Senate races next month.
The Editorial Board wrote:
You had every right to investigate the election. But let’s be clear: Those efforts have found nothing. To take just two examples: Your campaign paid $3 million for a recount in two Wisconsin counties, and you lost by 87 more votes. Georgia did two recounts of the state, each time affirming Biden’s win. These ballots were counted by hand, which alone debunks the claims of a Venezuelan vote-manipulating Kraken conspiracy. …
We understand, Mr. President, that you’re angry that you lost. But to continue down this road is ruinous. We offer this as a newspaper that endorsed you, that supported you: If you want to cement your influence, even set the stage for a future return, you must channel your fury into something more productive. …
If Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler win, they will prevent Biden from rolling back what you have accomplished. A Republican Senate can pressure Biden against returning to the old, failed Iran deal, can stop him from throwing open our southern border, will prevent him from packing the court.
Now imagine a government controlled by your nemeses — Nancy Pelosi in the House, Chuck Schumer in the Senate, Joe Biden in the White House. How high will taxes go? How many of your initiatives will be strangled? And, on a personal note, do you think they won’t spend the next four years torturing you with baseless hearings and investigations?
New York Post Editorial Board:
“Stop The Insanity: Give it up, Mr. President — for your sake and the nation’s.” https://t.co/YbGrXiirby pic.twitter.com/e3HSRlNORC
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) December 28, 2020
The New York Post is the second major newspaper that backed Trump’s re-election that has also called on him to accept the election results. The Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Board called on Trump to accept the election results after the Electoral College voted and gave Democrat Joe Biden the number of electors needed to secure victory.
“There’s no predicting how Mr. Trump will behave. He rarely takes our advice—we said in January 2017 that he should fire James Comey upon taking office—and perhaps he will continue his ‘stolen’ election claims past Jan. 20. Perhaps he can’t admit to himself that he lost. Perhaps he hopes to nurture resentment to run again in 2024,” The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board wrote on Dec. 13.
“But bitterness as a political strategy rarely wears well. If Republicans lose the Georgia Senate runoffs on Jan. 5, Mr. Trump will deserve much of the blame. If election protests turn to violence in the streets, as they did on the weekend in Washington, he will be blamed whether he deserves it or not. Mrs. Clinton’s example of still claiming she was cheated, four years later, hasn’t enhanced her reputation.”