A number of current and former journalists at The Washington Post have expressed their dissatisfaction with the newspaper following owner Jeff Bezos’ decision to withhold a planned presidential endorsement for the first time in 36 years. A joint column, signed by 17 Post columnists, criticized the decision, calling it a "terrible mistake." The opinion piece, published on the paper’s website, argued that presidential endorsements remind readers of the paper’s values and stated that the paper has a responsibility to uphold core democratic values threatened by Republican candidate Donald Trump. The column was signed by notable figures such as Eugene Robinson, David Ignatius, and Jennifer Rubin.
NPR reported on Bezos’ decision, which was announced shortly before publisher William Lewis released an opinion piece explaining that the Post did not routinely make endorsements until 1976, suggesting that it was time to return to that tradition to support readers’ autonomy in decision-making.
The Post had prepared an endorsement for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, which was ultimately scrapped by Bezos. This decision came shortly after it was reported that Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times, also blocked an endorsement for Harris.
In response to the lack of endorsement, two additional columns were published expressing frustration. Editor and columnist Ruth Marcus criticized the decision as untimely given the stakes of the current election, while editor and columnist Karen Tumulty questioned the timing and reasoning behind the announcement.
Cartoonist Ann Telnaes illustrated her disapproval with a cartoon titled "Democracy Dies in Darkness," expressing her sentiments through art. The Washington Post Guild’s leadership voiced concern over the decision’s impact on the newspaper’s credibility, noting a significant number of subscription cancellations following the announcement.
Robert Kagan, a Post editor-at-large, resigned in response to the decision, alleging that it signaled Bezos’ attempt to favorably position himself with Trump. Bezos has substantial business interests reliant on federal government decisions, including Amazon and Blue Origin. When Trump was president, he threatened to review Amazon’s bid for a Pentagon contract, which was eventually awarded to Microsoft.
On the day of the announcement, it was reported that Trump met with executives from Bezos’ Blue Origin, which holds a contract with NASA. Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein criticized the decision in a statement, noting it disregarded the paper’s reporting on Trump’s threats to democracy. Veteran reporter David Maraniss also expressed disappointment, deeming the non-endorsement decision "contemptible."