Opinion Today: Let’s check Trump’s references

We collected 91 testimonies from those who have known and worked with the former president.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 26, 2024 By Kathleen Kingsbury Opinion Editor I've been involved with hiring a lot of people over the years, interviewing job candidates and talking over their strengths and weaknesses with my colleagues. The most crucial and revealing part of this process is often the reference check. Whether I am recruiting a junior editor or a senior executive, hearing from people who have worked closely with candidates, who can speak to their working style, how they handle themselves under pressure, what they will bring — for good and for bad — to the workplace, is imperative. Most of us wouldn't hire a dog sitter without deeply vetting his work; why wouldn't we do the same for the office of president? So, for the latest project from the editorial board, we looked to the people who have worked most closely with Donald Trump to see what they had to say about the man who would like to hold, for a second time, the highest office in this country. We combed through the many books written about him, rewatched hours of interviews and testimony, and looked to the extraordinary reporting from our newsroom and others. What we assembled is, in effect, 91 letters of reference from 91 people speaking to their experiences with Trump. It runs the gamut from those who knew him before he went into politics — his family, colleagues from Trump Inc., people who worked with him on "The Apprentice" — to esteemed Republican politicians, people he personally hired during his tenure in the White House and heads of state who dealt with him on matters of global security. We hope you pay close attention to what they have said. Our conclusion? This is not a candidate who should make it past the reference check. Read more here: Photo illustration by Rebecca Chew/The New York Times; source photograph by Michael M. Santiago/Getty The Dangers of Donald Trump, From Those Who Know Him What 91 people who know the former president say about his character. 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Friedman Illustration by Shoshana Schultz/The New York Times letters Giving Prisoners a Second Chance Responses to a guest essay by a prisoner in New York. Also: President Biden's leadership; pressure on Israel; the Trump Effect; music in restaurants. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Opinion Today newsletter from The New York Times. 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