One of the country’s most prominent conservative magazines has joined the chorus of criticism after Donald Trump suggested delaying the November elections.
The National Review is perhaps the single most prestigious conservative news outlet, founded by William F. Buckley, an icon of the modern American right.
NR’s editors took the President to task on Thursday for what they called his “grotesque and un-American” suggestion.
“President Trump outdid himself this morning with a tweet floating the idea of delaying the election,” the editors wrote.
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“Obviously, this is an incendiary and absurd idea unworthy of being spoken — or even thought — by a president of the United States,” the article said.
“Top congressional Republicans poured scorn on the idea, and should continue to do so.”
The editors went on to explain that Trump doesn’t have the power to delay the election – as others have been at pains to point out elsewhere. But the conservative standard bearer went further, accusing Trump of willful ignorance about American elections.
“Trump doesn’t understand this, or doesn’t care,” the editors wrote.
“It is another indication of how little he’s let the institution of the presidency shape him, and how selfishly he approaches his duties.”
Though National Review came out firmly against Trump in 2016, since his election many of its writers have defended his actions and written positively about his policies.
It seems floating an election postponement was a bridge too far for the magazine’s top brass, however.
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Darragh Roche is a journalist covering U.S. politics and media
