USA Today endorsing Joe Biden

October 21, 2020

USA Today, one of the largest newspapers by circulation in America, gave Joe Biden its first-ever presidential endorsement on Tuesday.

The big picture: A slew of media companies are endorsing a candidate this year for the first time ever, citing the unprecedented nature of this election.

  • “This is not something we do lightly or do eagerly,” said Bill Sternberg, head of USA Today’s editorial board.

Between the lines: The newspaper posted a “dis-endorsement” of President Trump in 2016, but fell short of actually endorsing Hillary Clinton.

  • “In 2016, the conservative members of the editorial board could not stomach taking that one extra step and going so far as to endorse Hillary Clinton,” said Sternberg.
  • “This time when it was a question of Joe Biden versus Donald Trump, there was a full consensus of the board not just to dis-endorse Donald Trump again, but to go that extra step and endorse Joe Biden, who is a less polarizing and less controversial figure than Hillary Clinton.”

Details: In the endorsement, USA Today’s editorial board says that it’s endorsing Biden because Trump’s character is ill-suited for the position.

  • “If this were a choice between two capable major party nominees who happened to have opposing ideas, we wouldn’t choose sides.”
  • “Different voters have different concerns. But this is not a normal election, and these are not normal times.”
  • “This year, character, competence and credibility are on the ballot. Given Trump’s refusal to guarantee a peaceful transfer of power if he loses, so, too, is the future of America’s democracy.”
  • The source