The conservative New Hampshire Union Leader is endorsing libertarian candidate Gary Johnson for president, and taking down GOP nominee Donald Trump along the way.

Publisher Joseph W. McQuaid penned a scathing editorial Wednesday, labeling the current election season “dark times” due to the presence of both Hillary Clinton and Trump in the race.

“Voters leaning toward Trump are understandably fed up with the status quo, of which Clinton is a prime example. But they kid themselves if they think Trump isn’t pretty much a part of that status quo as well, or that he is in any way qualified to competently lead this nation.



The man is a liar, a bully, a buffoon. He denigrates any individual or group that displeases him. He has dishonored military veterans and their families, made fun of the physically frail, and changed political views almost as often as he has changed wives.”

According to the New York Times, the announcement marks the first time in more than 100 years that the state’s largest paper will not endorse the Republican nominee for president. The editorial reportedly will run on the paper’s front page Thursday morning, just in time for Trump’s arrival in the Granite State to campaign at Laconia Middle School.

As major newspapers across the country have announced their presidential endorsements over the past few months, publishers and editorial boards that generally endorse Republicans have not shied away from criticizing the GOP nominee.

“Trump doesn’t reflect Republican ideals of the past; we are certain he shouldn’t reflect the GOP of the future,” the Dallas Morning News’ editorial board wrote in June. “Donald Trump is not qualified to serve as president and does not deserve your vote.”

While newspaper endorsements don’t sway current voters as much as they did in previous generations, the conservative publication’s decision to reject Trump is still considered a significant move.

Head to the Union Leader’s website to read the full take-down here.

Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from entering the U.S.