The Chicago Tribune editorial board formally endorsed Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, arguing that "this is the moment to rebuke the Republican and Democratic parties.
"This is the moment to look at the candidates on this year's ballot," the paper said on Friday. "This is the moment to see this election as not so much about them, as about the American people and where their country is heading. And this is the moment to rebuke the Republican and Democratic parties."
The Tribune calls GOP nominee Donald Trump "a man not fit to be president of the United States," and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton "undeniably capable of leading the United States," but due to "her intent to greatly increase federal spending and taxation, and serious questions about honesty and trust," the paper cannot give her their endorsement.
Johnson and his running mate William Weld, on the other hand, are "agile, practical and, unlike the major-party candidates, experienced at managing governments. They offer an agenda that appeals not only to the Tribune's principles but to those of the many Americans who say they are socially tolerant but fiscally responsible."
"We reject the cliche that a citizen who chooses a principled third-party candidate is squandering his or her vote," the paper continues. "Look at the number of fed-up Americans telling pollsters they clamor for alternatives to Trump and Clinton.
"What we're recommending will appeal less to people who think tactically than to conscientious Americans so infuriated that they want to send a message about the failings of the major parties and their candidates."
RealClearPolitics shows Johnson currently polling nationally at 7 percent, well behind both Trump and Clinton, but easily ahead of fellow outsider candidate Jill Stein, who represents the Green Party.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.