The Houston Chronicle’s editorial board officially endorsed Vice President Harris in a Friday write up hours after The Washington Post revealed it would cease presidential endorsements for years to come.
Journalists drew stark contrasts between Harris and former President Trump early on in the piece, highlighting the candidates’ different responses to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene, Milton and Harvey.
“Even in a desperate hour of need, he exploits. Even from people who have lost everything, he takes,” Board members wrote about Trump, citing his false claims about FEMA response efforts. “It’s just one in a sea of examples showing why we believe Trump is unfit for a second term in the White House, and why this editorial board endorses Kamala Harris for president of the United States.”
They juxtaposed Trump’s statements with Harris’s visits to impacted regions, mentioning her reputation as a no-nonsense prosecutor and fact-based career on the Hill where she pushed for bipartisan legislation.
“So yes, Harris’ best asset is that she’s not Trump,” the Chronicle wrote. “Beyond her basic qualifications of human decency, self-control and mature leadership skills, her career path from law enforcement to the U.S. Senate to the vice president’s office illustrates independence, drive and a steely spine.”
The publication called the Democratic nominee as a “bench warmer” who sprang into action after President Biden suspended his campaign in July.
“She’s fearless and quick on her feet and apparently a quick study, having transformed from a bench warmer VP to a respectable presidential contender in three months,” the piece states. “She’s a champion of federal protections for abortion rights, desperately needed in Texas where an extreme ban doesn’t include exceptions for rape or incest or enough protections for women with severe pregnancy complications.”
Despite their supportive comments on Harris’s White House bid, the Trump campaign said the editorial didn’t matter.
“The Houston Chronicle has no influence and nobody takes them seriously,” Trump’s spokesman Steven Cheung told The Hill.
The op-ed accounted for the outlet’s lack of mainstream leverage by posing one final question to readers to consider before casting their ballot.
“We don’t expect this endorsement to change many minds. We can’t inspire voter participation like Taylor Swift or Beyonce. We won’t buy it like Elon Musk,” the Chronicle stated.
“We just ask you to consider one question before you cast perhaps the most consequential vote of your lifetime: If the brown floodwaters were rising around your house and the Cajun Navy could only send a small boat, who would you trust to pick you up: Kamala Harris or Donald Trump,” they propositioned. “We know who we’d trust.”
