Murdoch’s New York Post calls Trump ‘unfit to be president again’

(CNN) – One of Donald Trump’s favorite newspapers—controlled by his media ally Rupert Murdoch– Says Trump is “unfit to be president of this country again.”

Those words, in New York Post this weekendPerhaps the tabloid’s strongest criticism of Trump to date.

It was published online Friday night, while another Murdoch publication, the Wall Street Journal, also published an editorial strongly criticizing the former president.

The Journal called it “President arrested on January 6” And praised Vice President Mike Pence. “Character manifests itself in a crisis, and Mr. Pence passed his test on Jan. 6. Mr. Trump completely failed him,” the Journal editorial noted.

Both newspapers have been more critical of Trump than Murdoch’s biggest megaphone, Fox News Channel, although nearby observers have also picked up on some signs that Fox may be angry with Trump.

For example, the right-wing TV station no longer shows his rallies. 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, was a special guest on Fox when Trump held a rally Friday night.

Both the Post and The Wall Street Journal have conservative editorial boards that are believed to reflect comments from Murdoch, who said last fall that conservatives should play a bigger role in the American political debate, “but that won’t happen if President Trump pays attention. In the past.”

Murdoch tried to offer advice to Trump, but to no avail. Trump continues to spread lies about the 2020 election and has undermined the House investigation into the January 6 uprising.

After the House committee’s first prime-time hearing last month, The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board said it was a reminder that “Trump betrayed his supporters.”

Although editorialists were skeptical of the House committee and criticized the lack of cross-examination of witnesses, the following Friday, after a second prime-time hearing, they wrote: “Regardless of your view of the special commission on January 6, the facts as presented at the hearing are sobering. Thursday in an investigation into President Trump’s conduct When the riots broke out, he was watching TV, posting inflammatory tweets and refusing to send help.”

Instead of making excuses or changing the subject, as some conservative commentators have done, The Wall Street Journal op-ed said Trump failed in his duty as commander-in-chief.

The Post’s editorial page, which wrote last month that “we need a fresh start” for a “new crop of conservatives,” went further in its editorial after Thursday’s prime-time hearing.

“It’s up to the judiciary to decide whether this is a crime,” the Post said. “But policy-wise and character-wise, Trump has once again proven himself unfit to be president of this country.”