Bucking a more than 100-year trend of supporting Republican presidential candidates, the New Hampshire Union Leader endorsed Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson this week.

Donald Trump is a “a liar, a bully, a buffoon,” Joseph W. McQuaid, the newspaper’s publisher, wrote in an editorial.

“Americans are being told that we have to choose the lesser of two evils. No, we don’t,” he wrote.

“Libertarians Gary Johnson and Bill Weld are on the ballot in all 50 states. Their records (as Republican governors in politically-divided states) speak well of them,” Mr. McQuaid wrote. “They would be worth considering under many circumstances. In today’s dark times, they are a bright light of hope and reason.”

Mr. Johnson has also picked up recent endorsements from the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia and the Winston-Salem Journal in North Carolina.

The Times-Dispatch had endorsed the Republican nominee in every cycle since at least 1980. For the Journal, it’s the first-ever endorsement of a Libertarian for president.

Mr. McQuaid and Mr. Trump have somewhat of a history, as they got into a feud during the GOP primary season. The Union Leader had endorsed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, then a rival of Mr. Trump’s, and Mr. McQuaid had written an editorial comparing Mr. Trump to Biff Tannen, the loudmouthed bully character from the “Back to the Future” movies.

At a rally in New Hampshire in December, Mr. Trump called Mr. McQuaid Mr. Christie’s “lapdog.”

“I just have to tell you — it’s your paper, it’s not a good paper. You know it’s dying,” Mr. Trump said. “I think it’s a very disloyal act when you’re nice to a person. If you endorse Christie, I don’t care. I mean, that’s up to him. But you don’t go and try and hurt somebody that’s been helping you.”

He then tossed the paper into the crowd.

“That’s all it’s worth — piece of garbage,” he said.

Mr. Trump is scheduled to campaign in New Hampshire on Thursday.

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