What the Editorials Are Saying About Trump

A look at how some of the larger American newspapers were assessing Donald Trump's conviction on their editorial pages:

• Wall Street Journal: Its editorial suggests the "nation might soon regret this rough turn." The editorial predicts that "many voters will digest all of this and conclude that, while Mr. Trump may be a cad, this conviction isn't disqualifying for a second term in the White House." And it fears we may be witnessing the start of a "new destabilizing era of American politics"—using legal cases to go after a political opponent—"and no one can say how it will end." Read it here.

• Washington Post: "The significance of this sordid episode—though perhaps only tangential to the danger the defendant poses—lies in the fact that 12 of Mr. Trump's fellow citizens rendered their judgment on a wealthy former president," reads the editorial. But the "ultimate verdict ... might well have to arrive via a different means, the ballot box. And it will not be up to a jury of 12, but an electorate of millions, to deliver it." Read it here.
• New York Times: The "greatest good to come out of this sordid case is the proof that the rule of law binds everyone, even former presidents," reads the editorial. Trump, it adds, "tried to sabotage elections and the criminal justice system—both of which are fundamental to American democracy—when he thought they might not produce the outcome he wanted." The jurors came up with their verdict, and the nation's voters will do so later this year. "If the Republic is to survive, all of us—including Mr. Trump—should abide by both, regardless of the outcome." Read it here.
• Chicago Tribune: "This was an extraordinarily strange and sad day for America, irrespective of party affiliation and of what might happen on appeal," reads the editorial. It's not yet clear whether most Americans will view the trial as legit or a travesty, but one sure bet is intensified national divisiveness. And for that, it blames Trump. "He should not have falsified business payments. He was running for president of the United States." Read it here.
• Los Angeles Times: "It shouldn't take a criminal conviction to convince conscientious voters of Trump's epic unfitness," reads the editorial, which points out that the charges in this case are not the most serious of the ones Trump faces. "But those who support him must now reckon with the fact that their candidate of choice is a convicted felon." Read it here.

(More Trump hush-money trial stories.)