Picking through the rubble of Donald Trump's failed attempt to get re-elected in November, the editorial board of the conservative Wall Street Journal called out the Republican presidential nominee and said he only had himself to blame for making himself such a polarizing figure that he eventually turned off voters who went for him in 2016.
Summarizing post-election summaries from Tony Fabrizio -- who served as Trump's pollster -- the editors bluntly wrote that the ex-president only had himself to blame for becoming a one-term commander in chief.
Pointing to a "damning" 27-page analysis done by the pollster and reported on by Politico, the Journal's editors pointed to a key finding that stated, "Trump saw the 'greatest erosion with white voters, particularly white men,' and that he 'lost ground with almost every age group.' In the five states that flipped to Biden, Trump's biggest drop-off was among voters aged 18-29 and 65 and older."
One main reason, the Journal's editors noted, was," ... based on dislike for Mr. Trump personally and the way he handled the Presidency."
Writing, "we hope GOP voters aren't buying Mr. Trump's attempt to rewrite the history of the 2020 election," the editors went on to add, "Mr. Trump lost even though the electorate was more Republican in 2020 than in 2016. Mr. Fabrizio reports that Mr. Trump lost 'largely due to a massive swing' among independents and erosion among Republicans. This helps explain how the GOP gained a dozen seats in the House even as Mr. Trump became the first President to lose re-election since George H.W. Bush."
According to the Fabrizio analysis, "While a majority of voters said they didn't find either Presidential candidate honest or trustworthy, Biden held a double-digit advantage over POTUS."
Summarizing their own view, the editors concluded that it was Trump's election to win but he couldn't help going down a losing road even when his pollsters warned him.
"The point is to remember, as time passes and Mr. Trump blames everyone else for his defeat, that 2020 was a winnable race. Mr. Trump had many accomplishments to tout, and voters recognized them," they insisted. "Mr. Trump didn't lose to Joe Biden. He lost to himself."
You can read the editorial here -- (the subscription required).