Adelson-Backed Daily Gives Trump First Major Newspaper Endorsement

The Las Vegas daily owned by GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson granted Donald Trump his first major newspaper endorsement on Saturday, framing him as a flawed but determined “source of disruption.”

“Mr. Trump represents neither the danger his critics claim nor the magic elixir many of his supporters crave,” the Las Vegas Review Journal editorial board writes. “But he promises to be a source of disruption and discomfort to the privileged, back-scratching political elites for whom the nation’s strength and solvency have become subservient to power’s pursuit and preservation.”

Much of the endorsement is spent picking apart the dangers posed by a Hillary Clinton presidency rather than praising the Republican nominee. The board writes that Clinton would appoint liberal Supreme Court justices, raise taxes, and “indulge the worst instincts of the authoritarian left.”

Yet the board members are also unusually critical of the nominee they are supporting, noting that “Trump’s impulsivenesss and overheated rhetoric alienate many voters.”

“He has trouble dealing with critics and would be wise to discover the power of humility,” the board adds.

The Review Journal’s endorsement marks an achievement for the GOP nominee, who has received the backing of some smaller hometown newspapers but had until now failed to earn support from any high-circulation publication.

Trump-supporting casino magnate Adelson secretly purchased the newspaper, which is Nevada’s largest, in December. While he said he would not influence coverage, a columnist resigned this spring after he was banned from writing about Adelson.

Recent news reports have signaled that the billionaire donor has grown tired of Trump’s tirades against his fellow Republicans and will no longer donate the full $100 million he said he would put towards Trump’s election. Instead, some of that money will be diverted to down-ballot candidates.