Many Americans may consider Donald Trump 'a fake president', declares Wall Street Journal editorial

The opinion piece spares no words for the damage Mr Trump is doing to his presidency

Donald Trump's campaign trail behaviour may not be translating well to actually governing in the White House (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Many Americans may consider Donald Trump “a fake president,” according to a scathing opinion piece that ran in the Wall Street Journal.

The piece was penned by the normally right-leaning Wall Street Journal editorial board full of journalists who have regularly supported Republican candidates. The paper is part of Rupert Murdoch's news empire, which includes Fox News Channel whose anchors are openly pro-Trump.

The piece - which minces no words - comes amidst a confirmation hearing for Mr Trump’s Supreme Court nomination and a critical vote in Congress on repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.

Instead of the spotlight being on possible ‘wins’ for the administration, “the week has been dominated by the news that he was repudiated by his own FBI director“ James Comey during a Congressional hearing, according to the editorial board.

There is also the news of Paul Manafort, Mr Trump’s former campaign chairman, who allegedly worked for a Russian billionaire in order to benefit President Vladimir Putin.

The editorial board said Mr Trump’s promotion of “fake news” is doing “damage” to his reputation, referring to his accusations that former President Barack Obama had Trump Tower in New York wiretapped during the 2016 presidential campaign without providing any evidence.

Mr Comey said during the Congressional hearing that there was no evidence that Mr Trump’s claim is true.

Mr Trump seems to have a “seemingly endless stream of exaggerations, evidence-free accusations, implausible denials and other falsehoods,” the editorial board wrote.

The editorial board wrote that the real problem is that he does not walk back his claims once proven wrong or provide the public with any sign of his humility.

“[He] clings to his assertion like a drunk to an empty gin bottle,” putting his spokespeople like White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer in the line of media fire and ruining their credibility as well, they wrote.

However, the piece also points to the 2016 campaign as establishing a “pattern” of behaviour. It should not surprise anyone, least of all his supporters.

Slamming the administration’s tendency to only open up to right wing news outlets, the board wrote that Mr Trump will need “support beyond the Breitbart cheering section that will excuse anything” and friendly foreign leaders who feel they can trust him and the US.

The board noted that according to a Gallup poll, Mr Trump’s approval rating is a historically low 39 per cent and if he continues on this road of promoting “fake news most Americans may conclude he’s a fake President.”