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Joe Walsh Says Trump Is ‘Unfit’ to Be President. Some Say the Same About Him. Joe Walsh Says Trump Is ‘Unfit’ to Be President. Some Say the Same About Him.
(about 3 hours later)
Joe Walsh, a conservative radio show host and former congressman from Illinois, is challenging President Trump for the Republican nomination on the basis that he represents an alternative to a president who is morally unfit to hold his office.Joe Walsh, a conservative radio show host and former congressman from Illinois, is challenging President Trump for the Republican nomination on the basis that he represents an alternative to a president who is morally unfit to hold his office.
But in the days since Mr. Walsh officially announced his bid on Sunday, the former Tea Party congressman has been forced to confront his own highly questionable behavior.But in the days since Mr. Walsh officially announced his bid on Sunday, the former Tea Party congressman has been forced to confront his own highly questionable behavior.
In quick succession, Mr. Walsh has acknowledged his history of making racist comments and using slurs, defended his disparaging description of Haiti and learned that his radio show would soon be pulled from the national airwaves.In quick succession, Mr. Walsh has acknowledged his history of making racist comments and using slurs, defended his disparaging description of Haiti and learned that his radio show would soon be pulled from the national airwaves.
“He’s off to a bad start,” said Glen Bolger, a leading Republican pollster. “To have it where you don’t really have a message and your various tweets come back to bite you, I don’t think it’s what he was planning.”“He’s off to a bad start,” said Glen Bolger, a leading Republican pollster. “To have it where you don’t really have a message and your various tweets come back to bite you, I don’t think it’s what he was planning.”
Mr. Walsh hasn’t hurt for media coverage. But as he introduces himself to voters, his long trail of racist and anti-Muslim statements, voiced for years on his conservative radio show and on Twitter, have revealed more similarities with Mr. Trump than stark differences in views and temperament.Mr. Walsh hasn’t hurt for media coverage. But as he introduces himself to voters, his long trail of racist and anti-Muslim statements, voiced for years on his conservative radio show and on Twitter, have revealed more similarities with Mr. Trump than stark differences in views and temperament.
Mr. Walsh is seeking to challenge Mr. Trump from the right as William Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts and another Republican challenger, has quietly campaigned from closer to the center. Like Mr. Weld, Mr. Walsh stands virtually no chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination. But that has not deterred him from trying to build a case around the idea that Mr. Trump is an “unfit con man” who puts his own interests above those of the country.Mr. Walsh is seeking to challenge Mr. Trump from the right as William Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts and another Republican challenger, has quietly campaigned from closer to the center. Like Mr. Weld, Mr. Walsh stands virtually no chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination. But that has not deterred him from trying to build a case around the idea that Mr. Trump is an “unfit con man” who puts his own interests above those of the country.
In a two-minute video posted on his website, Mr. Walsh spoke of being “tired of a president waking up every morning and tweeting ugly insults at ordinary Americans.”In a two-minute video posted on his website, Mr. Walsh spoke of being “tired of a president waking up every morning and tweeting ugly insults at ordinary Americans.”
“I’m a conservative,” Mr. Walsh said. “I’m running because Donald Trump is not who we are. He’s the worst of who we are.”“I’m a conservative,” Mr. Walsh said. “I’m running because Donald Trump is not who we are. He’s the worst of who we are.”
But like Mr. Trump, Mr. Walsh has promoted conspiracy theories about President Barack Obama’s birthplace and has repeatedly referred to Mr. Obama as a Muslim. He elevated a white nationalist on his radio show after the riot in Charlottesville, Va., that left one counterprotester dead, and has taken to Twitter to defend his right to say “blacks are lazy.” He has repeatedly made Islamophobic statements, once tweeting: “No more Muslims in the US. They want us dead.” In 2014, Mr. Walsh was briefly removed from his own radio show for using racist slurs on air.But like Mr. Trump, Mr. Walsh has promoted conspiracy theories about President Barack Obama’s birthplace and has repeatedly referred to Mr. Obama as a Muslim. He elevated a white nationalist on his radio show after the riot in Charlottesville, Va., that left one counterprotester dead, and has taken to Twitter to defend his right to say “blacks are lazy.” He has repeatedly made Islamophobic statements, once tweeting: “No more Muslims in the US. They want us dead.” In 2014, Mr. Walsh was briefly removed from his own radio show for using racist slurs on air.
Mr. Walsh has not deleted his offending tweets, choosing instead to apologize for some of them. But his long, searchable trail means Mr. Walsh has spent the opening days of his campaign addressing his own record rather than mounting a coherent attack on Mr. Trump.Mr. Walsh has not deleted his offending tweets, choosing instead to apologize for some of them. But his long, searchable trail means Mr. Walsh has spent the opening days of his campaign addressing his own record rather than mounting a coherent attack on Mr. Trump.
“I wouldn’t call myself a racist, but I would say, John, I’ve said racist things on Twitter,” Mr. Walsh said in an interview with the MSNBC host John Heilemann on Monday.“I wouldn’t call myself a racist, but I would say, John, I’ve said racist things on Twitter,” Mr. Walsh said in an interview with the MSNBC host John Heilemann on Monday.
The difference between him and the president, Mr. Walsh said in an interview with ABC, is that Mr. Trump has “never apologized for anything he’s done or said.”The difference between him and the president, Mr. Walsh said in an interview with ABC, is that Mr. Trump has “never apologized for anything he’s done or said.”
But asked by The Washington Post about a tweet in which he deployed an expletive used by Mr. Trump to describe Haiti, Mr. Walsh said that while his word choice was perhaps “a little too provocative,” he stood by his description.But asked by The Washington Post about a tweet in which he deployed an expletive used by Mr. Trump to describe Haiti, Mr. Walsh said that while his word choice was perhaps “a little too provocative,” he stood by his description.
Amid his media blitz, Mr. Walsh received bad news about his own radio broadcast. In a statement Monday, Salem Radio Network announced that it would exercise its right to cancel national distribution of Mr. Walsh’s radio program, effective in 30 days.Amid his media blitz, Mr. Walsh received bad news about his own radio broadcast. In a statement Monday, Salem Radio Network announced that it would exercise its right to cancel national distribution of Mr. Walsh’s radio program, effective in 30 days.
A company official said any broadcaster who becomes a bona fide candidate for office must leave the air or risk exposing stations to the Federal Communications Commission’s equal time provision, under which any other declared candidate could demand airtime equal to that afforded to Mr. Walsh.A company official said any broadcaster who becomes a bona fide candidate for office must leave the air or risk exposing stations to the Federal Communications Commission’s equal time provision, under which any other declared candidate could demand airtime equal to that afforded to Mr. Walsh.
Mr. Walsh has tried to portray himself as someone who experienced an awakening — a firebrand populist who contributed to a divisive climate that helped elect Mr. Trump, but who was now putting his own career on the line to atone for his role in the Trump ascendancy.Mr. Walsh has tried to portray himself as someone who experienced an awakening — a firebrand populist who contributed to a divisive climate that helped elect Mr. Trump, but who was now putting his own career on the line to atone for his role in the Trump ascendancy.
As recently as 2018, however, Mr. Walsh appeared to still be defending Mr. Trump against charges of racism. After Mr. Trump attacked three journalists, all of them black women, Mr. Walsh wrote on Twitter that Mr. Trump treated everyone poorly. “Not just black women,” Mr. Walsh said. “He’s not a racist. He’s a bully.”As recently as 2018, however, Mr. Walsh appeared to still be defending Mr. Trump against charges of racism. After Mr. Trump attacked three journalists, all of them black women, Mr. Walsh wrote on Twitter that Mr. Trump treated everyone poorly. “Not just black women,” Mr. Walsh said. “He’s not a racist. He’s a bully.”
Mr. Walsh’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Lucy Caldwell, Mr. Walsh’s campaign manager, said that it had received an “overwhelming response” and that the candidate had been upfront about his regret for having made comments he can no longer defend.
“He wants to get to the point where we can really talk seriously about the lack of fitness of the man in White House,” she said in an interview Tuesday night.
“However you feel about Congressman Walsh’s record,” she added, “he’s one of two people who has stepped up and said we cannot have this man in the White House anymore.”
In a tweet late Tuesday, Mr. Trump expressed incredulity that some had chosen to challenge him and labeled Mr. Walsh a “BAD Congressman from Illinois who lost in his second term by a landslide, then failed in radio.”
Those promoting Mr. Walsh’s challenge to Mr. Trump played down the problems with Mr. Walsh’s own checkered history and questioned whether he really believed the things he has said.Those promoting Mr. Walsh’s challenge to Mr. Trump played down the problems with Mr. Walsh’s own checkered history and questioned whether he really believed the things he has said.
“He’s made it through a rough patch and he deserves to have a rough patch, given the things he said,” said William Kristol, the conservative writer and prominent “Never Trump” Republican who has been working over the past year to recruit a challenger. “I think he’s making it through and will be a real problem for Trump, in part because he voted for Trump and he’s a populist conservative.”“He’s made it through a rough patch and he deserves to have a rough patch, given the things he said,” said William Kristol, the conservative writer and prominent “Never Trump” Republican who has been working over the past year to recruit a challenger. “I think he’s making it through and will be a real problem for Trump, in part because he voted for Trump and he’s a populist conservative.”
Others expressed deeper skepticism of Mr. Walsh’s potential impact on the race.Others expressed deeper skepticism of Mr. Walsh’s potential impact on the race.
Ed Rollins, a veteran Republican strategist who supports Mr. Trump, said he did not believe Mr. Walsh to be a viable candidate in part because he said the vast majority of the Republican Party was not actually looking for an alternative to Mr. Trump, and in part because Mr. Walsh was “not a very good messenger.”Ed Rollins, a veteran Republican strategist who supports Mr. Trump, said he did not believe Mr. Walsh to be a viable candidate in part because he said the vast majority of the Republican Party was not actually looking for an alternative to Mr. Trump, and in part because Mr. Walsh was “not a very good messenger.”
“He lacks credibility,” Mr. Rollins said. “In a national scene, no one knows who he is, and those who do recall that he was a controversial member of Congress who was defeated after one term.”“He lacks credibility,” Mr. Rollins said. “In a national scene, no one knows who he is, and those who do recall that he was a controversial member of Congress who was defeated after one term.”
More broadly, strategists noted that defeating an incumbent president was difficult, if not impossible, and required a vast war chest as well as significant support.More broadly, strategists noted that defeating an incumbent president was difficult, if not impossible, and required a vast war chest as well as significant support.
“It’s hard to see Walsh having either,” Mr. Bolger said.“It’s hard to see Walsh having either,” Mr. Bolger said.
“It’s a rough, tough game,” said Mr. Rollins, adding, “He’s not going to be the guy.”“It’s a rough, tough game,” said Mr. Rollins, adding, “He’s not going to be the guy.”