Newark Evening News

The Newark Evening News is a Republican newspaper whose coverage gives the political crisis a local public record. It challenges Charles A. Lindbergh’s nomination while also reporting the public alliance between Lindbergh and Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf, making the paper a witness to the divisions that unsettle Newark’s Jewish community.

Editorial Position During the Nomination

After Lindbergh’s nomination, the Newark Evening News published an editorial recalling his Des Moines speech and openly questioning the wisdom of his candidacy. Its criticism matters in a moment when the surprise of the nomination has left many Jewish residents feeling exposed and unsure what protections they can rely on. The paper’s opposition shows that Lindbergh’s political ascent is contested even within the Republican press.

The account contrasts the Newark Evening News with PM, which mounts a more extensive attack across its pages and features photographs of Lindbergh’s 1938 visit to Nazi Germany, including one showing him with Hermann Göring. The contrast locates the Newark paper’s editorial challenge within a broader press response without suggesting that the two papers use the same methods or intensity.

Reporting Bengelsdorf’s Support

During Lindbergh’s flying tour, the Newark Evening News reports that Bengelsdorf stood first in line to greet him as he emerged from the Spirit of St. Louis. Its account also attributes to Bengelsdorf a declaration of Jewish loyalty to the United States and support for Lindbergh, presenting his candidacy as compatible with Jewish identity. The paper’s report makes that position publicly legible to readers, including Philip’s parents, who are among the Jews troubled by Bengelsdorf’s appearance and statement.

Together, the editorial and the airport coverage show the paper recording competing political signals: a challenge to Lindbergh’s nomination and a prominent Jewish leader’s endorsement of it. In the novel, the newspaper’s reporting helps frame how national politics reaches Newark—not as a distant contest alone, but as a dispute over loyalty, safety, and who can speak for the community.