Swing State Newspaper Issues Warning on Trump Less Than Week to Election

The Las Vegas Sun blasted former President Donald Trump in a scathing editorial on Wednesday, warning voters that the “stakes are simply too high” and Trump’s “mental acuity and sharpness” are declining.
The editorial, published just six days before Election Day, says that the Republican presidential nominee is “crippled cognitively and showing clear signs of mental illness,” while noting an analysis by The New York Times earlier this month that Trump’s rallies have become darker and increasingly angrier over time.
The former president has faced mounting backlash this week after his rally in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday featured guests spewing racist and hateful rhetoric—most notably from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who made insensitive jokes about Latinos, Jews and called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”
Trump on Tuesday night said he did not know who Hinchcliffe was in an interview with Fox’s Sean Hannity, adding, “But I don’t know who it is. I don’t even know who put them in and I can’t imagine it’s a big deal. I’ve done more for Puerto Rico than any president, I think, that’s ever, that’s ever been president.”
Newsweek has reached out to the Trump campaign via email on Wednesday for comment.
The Sun’s Publisher Brian Greenspun told Newsweek via phone on Wednesday that the timing of the editorial was dictated by “events over the last two weeks,” pointing to Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally and the Times’ analysis
“It’s time to say clearly this is an issue,” Greenspun said of Trump’s behavior and mental capabilities.
President Joe Biden has also faced questions about his age and cognitive abilities. Biden dropped out of the presidential race in late July after a disastrous debate against Trump and a wave of bipartisan lawmakers asking him to step down.
“Similar types of issues have been growing with Trump, not just Biden,” Greenspun said.
The Sun editorial added that both Democrats and Republicans should be “alarmed” by Trump’s words and called on America to “confront” his “hateful character.” The paper went on to add that Trump is showing signs of “mental illness” and also pointed out his praise of strongmen Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“This makes him prey to manipulations by his own staff or, worse, the control of foreign adversaries,” the editorial warns.
“As voters consider Trump’s latest bid for the presidency, it’s essential to recognize that this election is not merely a choice between policy platforms or party loyalties. It’s a test of our willingness to safeguard our nation from leaders whose fitness for office is in serious question. This election is about protecting the integrity of our democracy from those who would let it collapse in the name of power, loyalty or expedience,” the Sun opinion piece read.
Political analyst Craig Agranoff told Newsweek on Wednesday that editorials like the one written by the Sun “can influence some undecided voters in swing states” but pack limited punch for others.
“People tend to trust voices they feel aligned with, so strong opinions from a local paper may sway some readers who are already on the fence. However, deeply loyal voters typically stick to their candidate, regardless of these warnings, ” Agranoff concluded.
The editorial also called out Trump’s running mate, U.S. Senator JD Vance of Ohio, for embracing “extremist ideology” while adding that the Republican vice presidential nominee is eager to follow Trump’s “worst instincts.”
The Sun has a readership of 150,000, according to Muck Rack, making it the largest in Nevada. Greenspun also told Newsweek that “it is essential” for papers to weigh in on “matters of such national importance” like a presidential election when asked about other editorials like The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post choosing to not endorse a candidate this election cycle.
Polls in the swing state also show a close race between Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. According to a CNN poll by SSRS released on Tuesday, Trump is beating Harris by one point among likely voters in Nevada, 48 percent to 47 percent. The poll has a margin of error of 4.6 percent.
Update 10/30/24 6:04 pm ET: This article was updated to include Brian Greenspun’s comment.