WSJ loses patience with Trump over unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in brutal editorial

In a blunt-talking editorial in the conservative Wall Street Journal, the editors called upon Donald Trump to come up with credible evidence of election fraud or move on and prepare to leave office on January 20th.

Noting the multiple lawsuits brought by the president and his supporters that have alleged ballot tampering and fraud -- only to be promptly thrown out by judges in multiple states -- the editors stated in no uncertain terms that the president needs to put up or shut up and to hire a "serious" lawyer in place of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

"If Mr. Trump had solid evidence of massive wrongdoing, it should be taken to court by a serious practicing attorney. Mr. Giuliani’s role as lead lawyer suggests this is political theater. To what end?" the editors asked. "Perhaps Mr. Trump wants to test if Republican state legislatures in Michigan, Georgia or Pennsylvania might directly name Trump electors, overruling the state’s vote for Mr. Biden. That’s a dark road to go down."

According to the editors, forcing a case for overturning the election by the Supreme Court on sketchy evidence would deal the country a devastating blow.

"If it [TRump's effort] succeeded in denying Mr. Biden 270 electoral votes, the result would be a backlash that would be a calamity for the GOP. It would draw legal challenges and might head to the Supreme Court. For the gambit to work, more than one state would have to be involved. But even if a single state took this course, it would be a terrible precedent that Republicans would live to regret," the editorial stated.

They then closed with a pointed warning to the president.

"Republicans have given Mr. Trump ample leeway to prove his case for ballot fraud, and we’ve approached his claims with an open mind," they wrote. "But if there’s no evidence beyond general innuendo, the President’s charges of a stolen election will undermine public faith in the electoral system. That won’t serve the country, his party, or his supporters, who will sour on politics and in the process cede elections to the left. None of this will serve Mr. Trump, his legacy, or whatever hope he has to run again in 2024."

You can read the whole editorial here (subscription required).