The Wall Street Journal warned President Trump in an editorial published Tuesday evening that he’s starting to become the boy who cried wolf.
“With his seemingly endless stream of exaggerations, evidence-free accusations, implausible denials and other falsehoods,” the president is seriously harming his credibility, the board argues.
The op-ed began by wondering if Americans, and the world, would believe him if he said “North Korea launched a missile that landed within 100 miles of Hawaii.”
The editorial board took particular issue with the president’s claim that former President Obama had him wiretapped, which FBI Director James Comey said Monday was unsupported.
“The President clings to his assertion like a drunk to an empty gin bottle, rolling out his press spokesman to make more dubious claims,” the board wrote, adding that forcing White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer to repeat an assertion by a Fox News commentator that the former administration had British intelligence do the dirty work only served to “insult an ally.”
As he was on the campaign trail, Trump continues to be “his own worst political enemy,” the argued.
Now that he’s president, he needs support more than ever both stateside and abroad, the board said--and trust plays a key role in that.
The Journal noted that this week should have been a good one for Trump with progress both on health reform legislation and the “smooth political sailing” of his Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch. Instead, however, it’s been marred by “the news that he was repudiated by his own FBI director.”
“Two months into his Presidency, Gallup has Mr. Trump’s approval rating at 39%,” the board wrote in conclusion. “No doubt Mr. Trump considers that fake news, but if he doesn’t show more respect for the truth most Americans may conclude he’s a fake President.”