Conservative WSJ: Trump Is His Own Worst Enemy

Dissent in the ranks, stark divisions in the GOP. Will it continue?

I subscribe to The Wall Street Journal and enjoy reading the editorial board’s reasoned, generally conservative opinions, even when I frequently disagree. I agree with them on the importance of U.S. support of the war in Ukraine; U.S. immigration reform (“A Border Security Bill Worth Passing”); renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and severe criticism of Donald Trump for seeking to kill all three; in defense of America’s two-party system; moderately pro-choice position on abortion; and description of the Republican House as a dysfunctional, “chaos caucus,” especially “Rep. Mayhem Taylor-Greene.”

It is reassuring that conservatives and liberals can find common ground in America. We aren’t necessarily as polarized as Cable TV networks like Fox and MSNBC and social media echo chambers would have us believe.

I was pleasantly surprised with how non-partisan they were about Trump during the 2020 election and in the 2023-24 primary season, describing Trump as a danger and his own worst enemy. They strongly promoted an alternative to Trump for the GOP nomination, and Nikki Haley before Trump wrapped up the nomination. This led me to believe that if Trump has lost the Wall Street crowd and the investor class the Journal editorial board tends to speak for, he has probably lost a critical constituency and the country.

Thinking Republicans and conservative-leaning independents — generally savvy in business and well-informed — are not part of the Trump cult, and pay heed to the WSJ editorial page. It offers what passes for intelligent persuasive opinion pieces on the right these days. I learn from and generally respect WSJ opinions because they can be intellectually honest and persuasive, adhering to principles, not simply trying to score hyper-partisan points or remain loyal, in lockstep with Republicans.

Unfortunately, they probably aren’t anywhere near a majority of Republican primary voters (like they used to be during the Bush years). The party has been captured by the dangerous cult of Trump, caring not about the details of policies, issues, and principles but simply about loyalty to the man, no matter what he does.

Let’s see if the WSJ will keep up this honest non-partisanship now that the general election campaign is underway. Or will it fall in line behind Trump — perhaps on orders from owner Rupert Murdoch? — and in a close election seek to sway critical pro-business conservatives that Trump’s a better choice than Biden? I’ll be watching to see how this plays out.

Below are very critical quotes from the WSJ editorial board about Trump, suggesting he should be abandoned politically. (This was before he wrapped up the nomination.) These are powerful, persuasive, and well-reasoned editorials, worth sharing with conservative-leaning friends who supported Trump in the past but are not sure about doing so in 2024.

Most notably, the Journal debunked Trump’s lies that the 2020 election was stolen.

I’ve collected and linked to these persuasive editorials over the last four years because I fear the WSJ is on the verge of declaring them “inoperative”, hoping the public will forget what the editorial board wrote as it falls in line behind Trump. They should not be able to cover their tracks or forget what they said. They should be reminded constantly of their former moral courage before they lost it.