just moments ago Donald Trump firing
back at USA Today this is the tweet it
reads that people are really smart in
canceling subscriptions to the Dallas
and Arizona papers and now USA Today
will lose readers he writes the people
get it so why is he so upset there's the
tweet for the first time and it's 34
year history the newspaper the USA Today
is taking sides in a presidential race
it's not an endorsement of any candidate
instead the piece urges readers not to
vote for Donald Trump but a diss
endorsement if you will the editorial
board writes in part quote from the day
he declared his candidacy 15 months ago
through this week's first presidential
debate Trump has demonstrated repeatedly
that he lacks the temperament knowledge
steadiness and honesty that America
needs from its presidents it goes on to
say whatever you do however resist the
siren song of a dangerous demagogue by
all means vote just not for Donald Trump
with me now is Bill Stern Berkey is the
editorial page editor for USA Today Bill
nice to see in person thank you good to
be with so first thing your reaction to
this tweet from Donald Trump right now
he says the people get it laying into
the Dallas paper the Arizona Republican
to you guys now as well well I can't say
I'm surprised I didn't think he'd be a
fan of the editorial I will say the
pre-dawn tweet tirade that you were
talking about earlier talking about
former Miss Universe and sex tapes is
not the kind of behavior we see in a
normal presidential candidate and
reinforces the point that we make in the
editorial about his temperament so take
me into those closed room meetings with
editorial board of the USA Today met and
after 34 years the most read newspaper
in the country made what is a watershed
decision do you decide we're gonna get
involved in this one why specifically
did you make that choice and why now
it's really not that complicated I'm
hearing some elaborate conspiracy
theories but basically the editorial
board is a very diverse group of nine
people were consist of everyone from
conservative moderate progressive
libertarian and we operate by consensus
and as
the campaign went on we decide we care
about our country in the future of the
country and as the campaign went on from
his announcement through the GOP
convention through this presidential
debate we became increasingly concerned
about his fitness for office who helped
us understand the nuance in a diss
endorsement of Donald Trump versus if
you say all the things you say about him
why not endorse Hillary Clinton or Gary
Johnson or even Jill Stein well as I
said we operate by consensus at the
editorial board unanimously we concluded
that Trump is unfit for the presidency
when it came to making an endorsement we
were not able to get a consensus some
people and the editorial board felt
Clinton will be experienced enable
president others had deep concerns about
her sense of entitlement her lack of
candor her handling of classified
information so help me better understand
this right now you under you know the
way that this campaign season is playing
out right now doesn't it affect your
editorial basically just fulfill what
Donald Trump has been saying that this
is a fight between the people and the
media elite the Washington establishment
doesn't this just reinforce the message
Donald Trump is trying to communicate as
I said we don't consider ourselves the
media elite we consider ourselves nine
citizens who care about the future and
so what is it I guess that more broadly
what does it say though about the system
right now that every paper in the
country with a few exceptions is either
endorsed Hillary Clinton or distant
Orson Donald Trump I think the National
Inquirer endorsed Trump and four papers
the Detroit News
most recently endorsing Carrie Johnson
what does it say that all these papers
are endorsing the other person or
persons and yet this guy is still neck
and neck well there obviously is a
certain core support for Donald Trump
they just want to punch Washington in
the nose and they don't necessarily just
want to send that message but hopefully
there are some undecided who will when
you pull together the facts and the
information this can influence their
decision Bill Sternberg the editorial
page editor from the USA Today nice to
see you
we appreciate it thanks for having me on
hey there I'm Chris Hayes from MSNBC
thanks for watching MSM
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