The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette endorsed President Donald Trump for reelection on Saturday as Trump and Joe Biden focus on the battleground state of Pennsylvania in the final days of the race.
"This newspaper has not supported a Republican for president since 1972," the Post-Gazette said in its endorsement. "But we believe Mr. Trump, for all his faults, is the better choice this year."
The Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh's largest newspaper, said Trump's record on the economy, China, and the Supreme Court motivated its endorsement. The paper's editorial board also highlighted Trump's support for fracking, a major industry in the swing state, and said Biden's promises to end it "will cost the economy and the people who most need work right now."
"'Good-paying green jobs' are probably not jobs for Pittsburgh, or Cleveland, or Toledo, or Youngstown," the paper said.
The editorial board also said Trump is "seemingly robust," unlike Biden, whom the paper said is "fragile." "Mr. Biden is too old for the job and fragile. There is a very real chance he will not make it through the term," the Post-Gazette said. "Sen. Kamala Harris gives no evidence of being ready to be president."
Pennsylvania is the most visited state by the presidential candidates this election cycle. Winning the battleground state could be the tipping point for either candidate in the narrow race. Trump is scheduled to appear in multiple rallies in the state in the closing days of the race, and Biden is scheduled to speak in Philadelphia on Sunday.