A longtime “never Trump” right-leaning columnist has apparently had a change of heart and is now opening and strongly endorsing former President Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance. Michael Brendan Dougherty, a former committed “Never-Trump” columnist, publicly endorsed Trump and Vance on Tuesday, describing it as a necessary responsibility. Dougherty, who has previously voiced skepticism about Trump’s character and leadership style, now feels compelled to support the former president, citing the urgency of the current political climate as a motivating factor.
In an essay titled “My First Vote for Trump,” Dougherty candidly expressed the inner conflict surrounding his decision. In an essay for National Review titled ‘My First Vote for Trump,’ Dougherty didn’t hold back on how conflicted the decision has made him feel. “I mention that only to make it maximally embarrassing to say that I will cast a vote for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance today,” Dougherty wrote, conceding that his decision involved “changing my standards too.”
For the columnist, a longtime Reagan conservative, his decision to back Trump represents a profound change in his approach to voting. “I used to be much more precious about my franchise, and consequently, I’ve refused to vote in every election since 2004 because I never felt I was able to send the appropriate or worthwhile message with it. My chief objection to voting for Trump in 2016 was his character and what he would do to the country with it,” Dougherty explained, but added, “I was wrong on key aspects, namely that I predicted he would break his promise to appoint sound judges. He kept that promise. I had to reassess.”
I concluded that it is reprehensibly vain to morally free ride on the millions of Trump voters for a result I prefer while I pat myself on the back for not taking my own side. https://t.co/G8l0y2TYwa
— Michael Brendan Dougherty (@michaelbd) November 5, 2024
Dougherty believes that the Trump-Vance ticket aligns with his national conservative vision, which is another reason why he decided to publicly support the former president. “Trump-Vance is the ticket likely to be closest in my lifetime to the broad strokes of my national-conservative politics,” Dougherty noted. This, for him, is significant. “I also feel compelled to lend Trump my popular vote from New York State in case there is another split between the Electoral College and the popular vote.”
Dougherty openly criticized the progressive policies of the Democratic ticket, led by Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.. “The Democratic ticket is committed to legislation such as the Equality Act, which is a direct threat to make Catholic and Low Church Protestant convictions legally painful to hold,” Dougherty wrote. He voiced his support for Trump as a “duty” to his own beliefs, writing, “The remedy, therefore, is for Republican voters to block Democrats from the executive.”
“I didn’t choose these fights, and I preferred a different champion in the primary,” Dougherty admitted. Given the political and cultural battles he perceives in the country, he views his vote for Trump as a necessary step to counter the progressive agenda. “I think it is morally reprehensible to free-ride on the rest of the country’s votes for Trump, and then to preen that I’m too pure to pull a lever for the outcome I prefer.” Dougherty quoted Vance’s own shift in thinking about Trump: “’If I’m going to represent these voters, I’m going to have to suck it up and support Trump,’” Dougherty wrote, aligning himself with Vance’s sentiment. “Me too,” he concluded.
