Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Board Defends Trump By Saying His ‘Attention Span Is Too Short’ to Stage a Real Coup

The Wall Street Journal editorial board did not offer an endorsement in this year’s presidential race, but they did publish breakdowns of each candidate and what their second terms could look like.

The editorial board’s view on former President Donald Trump returning to the White House was published on Thursday, with them declaring he lacks the “attention span” to pull off a real “coup.” The board made it clear they did not want him as the Republican Party’s nominee and that there was not a whole lot of excitement around either candidate.

“We wish it was a better choice, but that’s democracy,” the board wrote, calling Vice President Kamala Harris “unprepared for a world on fire” and Trump a bit of a wild card.

“The best argument for a Trump victory is that it would be suitable penance for the many Democratic failures at home and abroad. A spending-fueled inflation that shrank real wages. Adversaries on the march. Abuses of regulatory power and law enforcement,” the board wrote. “If Ms. Harris wins, progressives will claim vindication and pursue more of the same—perhaps checked somewhat by a GOP Senate. A Harris defeat would slow the forced march left, at least for a time.”

While the board argued Trump could be good for the economy, they also claimed he doesn’t have the “attention span” to pull off a “real coup,” referring to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

“The authoritarian rule that Democrats and the press predicted never appeared. Mr. Trump was too undisciplined, and his attention span too short, to stay on one message much less stage a coup. America’s checks and balances held, and Democrats benefited from the political backlash,” they wrote. “Ah, but what about the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021? Mr. Trump’s attempt to overturn the election was appalling, and for many Americans is disqualifying for a second term. We thought he shouldn’t win the nomination again.”

The board accused Democrats of reviving Trump’s political fortunes.

“Democrats helped to revive his fortunes with their unprecedented prosecutions and other excesses. Democrats made Trump II possible as much as GOP primary voters,” they wrote. “If Mr. Trump wins, it will be a comeback for the ages, and a testament to his resilience and ability to speak for Americans who feel unrepresented.”

The board said much of Trump’s success, especially with foreign policy, will depend on the people he chooses for certain positions, and they called out the former president for lacking a specific agenda headed into office.

“We don’t buy the fascism fears, and we doubt Democrats really do either. Our own concern is whether he can successfully address the country’s urgent problems,” they wrote. “Most second presidential terms are disappointing, or worse, and Mr. Trump hasn’t mapped out a clear agenda beyond controlling the border and unleashing U.S. energy production.”