REUTERS/Chris Keane
More than 20 notable conservative thinkers, including William Kristol, Erick Erickson, and Glenn Beck, contributed to Friday's issue of National Review, whose cover loudly displays the words "Against Trump."
"Donald Trump is a menace to American conservatism who would take the work of generations and trample it underfoot on behalf of a populism as heedless and crude as The Donald himself," the magazine wrote in an editorial, according to the New York Times.
The next cover of @NRO ...featuring @glennbeck, @billkristol and @jpodhoretz. "AGAINST TRUMP" pic.twitter.com/PO9xYSJq0K
- Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) January 22, 2016
The anti-Trump manifesto comes just 10 days before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1. Recent polls suggest a hotly contested race between Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, although the real estate mogul continues to hold a substantial lead in national polls.
Trump reacted to the special issue on Twitter Thursday night:
National Review is a failing publication that has lost it's way. It's circulation is way down w its influence being at an all time low. Sad!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 22, 2016
According to CNN, National Review editor Rich Lowry spent weeks reaching out to fellow conservatives to commission the essays.
It's noteworthy that the manifesto is coming from the National Review, given that Trump referenced the magazine's founder, William F. Buckley, in last week's Republican debate.
During an emotional exchange on "New York values," Trump responded to Cruz's claim that "not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan."
"Conservatives actually do come out of Manhattan, including William F. Buckley and others, just so you understand," Trump said.
The 22 authors who contributed to the manifesto are:
- Glenn Beck
- David Boaz
- L. Brent Bozell III
- Mona Charen
- Ben Domenech
- Erick Erickson
- Steven F. Hayward
- Mark Helprin
- William Kristol
- Yuval Levin
- Dana Loesch
- Andrew C. McCarthy
- David M. McIntosh
- Michael Medved
- Edwin Meese III
- Russell Moore
- Michael B. Mukasey
- Katie Pavlich
- John Podhoretz
- R. R. Reno
- Thomas Sowell
- Cal Thomas