New York Times roasted for ‘Trump Can Win on Character’ op-ed

New York Times’ latest op-ed by Rich Lowry is being ridiculed online, with many comparing it to the Onion articles.

The New York Times recently published an op-ed by Rich Lowry that has sparked widespread ridicule online.

Titled "Trump Can Win on Character," the piece argues that former President Donald Trump’s best strategy for winning the 2024 election lies in attacking Vice President Kamala Harris's character.

Lowry, who is the editor-in-chief of the conservative National Review, suggests that Trump should focus on portraying Harris as "weak, a phony, and uninterested in the country or the middle class" to gain an advantage.

Trump isn’t going to beat Ms. Harris by scoring points in the debate over price controls or the border.

Everything has to be connected to the deeper case that Ms. Harris is weak, a phony, and doesn’t truly care about the country or the middle class.

My NYT Op-Ed today…

— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) August 26, 2024

The article has drawn sharp criticism and mockery, with many finding the idea that Trump—often criticised for his own character and behaviour—could win a race based on character to be deeply ironic.

People are hammering that Rich Lowry piece for the headline on "Trump Can Win on Character," but it's even worse than you think: He means Trump can win by being Trumpy about Harris's character, and he thinks that's a good idea that would work and not shameful at all: pic.twitter.com/IYP4PV3AUn

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) August 26, 2024

Given Trump’s controversial tenure, marked by personal scandals and inflammatory rhetoric, the premise of the article is seen by many as out of touch with reality. Social media users have compared the piece to satire, with some likening it to content from The Onion, a parody news site.

People are calling the NYT’s, The Onion because of this opinion piece and here is why

“Ms. Harris was too weak to win the Democratic primary contest this year. She is too weak to hold open town-hall events or do extensive — or, at the moment, any — sit-down media interviews”… pic.twitter.com/7VyvV6eekh

— Casey Wright 🥖🎪 (@503i7) August 26, 2024

One user quipped, "The Onion writers are now running the New York Times," while another questioned whether the article was a product of the "New York Times Pitchbot" satire account.

The Onion writers are now running the @nytimes pic.twitter.com/HbEEWjTMW3

— jmc (@somervilleny) August 26, 2024

The backlash underscores the disconnect between Trump’s public persona and the article’s premise, with many seeing it as both ethically questionable and politically ineffective.

Despite the criticism, Lowry’s op-ed highlights the ongoing focus on character debates in American presidential campaigns.