Donald Trump may decide to run again for president, but he won't win another national election because his behavior following the 2020 vote was inexcusable and will mar his legacy forever, The Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote on Monday.
Trump "may go on a revenge campaign tour, or run as a third-party candidate, but all he will accomplish is to divide the center-right and elect Democrats," the piece stated, pointing out this was proven by the two Republican defeats in the Jan. 5 Georgia Senate races.
The Journal emphasized that "the country is moving past the Trump Presidency, and the GOP will remain in the wilderness until it does too."
The column stressed that the Senate's failure to convict Trump in the impeachment trial was no vindication, arguing that "the statements by Senators who voted to acquit make clear that he escaped conviction mainly — perhaps only — because he is no longer president."
Even most Republicans didn't defend Trump's words or actions, the piece pointed out, citing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's post-trial remarks as a prime example.
"Trump's actions that preceded the riot were a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty," McConnell said. "There's no question — none — that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day," he said, adding that the rioters had been "fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth — because he was angry he'd lost an election" and that a Senate acquittal does not absolve Trump of potential criminal or civil liability for actions he took in office.
The editorial board added that Trump's failure to act quickly to call off the rioters once he heard what was happening compounded his disgrace.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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