The "patriotic choice": New York Times endorses Kamala Harris

The New York Times editorial board endorsed Kamala Harris Monday in a piece that called the vice president the only "patriotic choice" when pitted against former President Donald Trump, who the Times described as "morally unfit for an office that asks its occupant to put the good of the nation above self-interest" and temperamentally unfit for a role that "requires the very qualities — wisdom, honesty, empathy, courage, restraint, humility, discipline — that he most lacks."

This election, the Times said, is more than just a contest of ideas, but a question of whether to elect a man who will "degrade the values, defy the norms and dismantle the institutions that have made our country strong" or a "dedicated public servant who has demonstrated care, competence and an unwavering commitment to the Constitution."

While the piece says that Harris may not be the perfect candidate for every voter, it argues that her plans to "help Americans better afford the things they need, to make it easier to own a home, to support small businesses and to help workers" are a far better choice than Trump's commitment to cut taxes for the rich and raise the cost of goods with across-the-board tariffs.

The editorial board also drew contrasts between Harris and Trump on other policy areas.

The vice president, the paper said, would expand access to healthcare, protect women's reproductive freedom, strengthen foreign alliances and find global solutions to fight climate change. By contrast, Trump spent years trying to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, boasted about appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, praises autocrats like Russian President Vladimir Putin and rejects climate science. On immigration, the board condemned Trump for demonizing and dehumanizing refugees, while saying Harris "offers hope for a compromise, long denied by Congress, to secure the borders and return the nation to a sane immigration system."

Despite the clear differences on policy and fitness for leadership, the Times said, Harris must do more to explain her policies in detail to the public. At the same time, the board praised her for making clear the "dangers" of re-electing Trump, whose "disdain for the rule of law goes beyond his efforts to obtain power."

Since its founding in 1851, the New York Times has endorsed a presidential candidate in every election. The editorial board has not endorsed a Republican since Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956.