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‘Disturbing spinelessness’: Jeff Bezos personally kills Washington Post endorsement of Kamala, all hell breaks loose

by | Oct 25, 2024 | Top Ten

Editor at large resigns: ‘We are already seeing cancellations from once loyal readers’

By Joe Kovacs

 

(Image by WikiImages from Pixabay)

For the first time in decades, the Washington Post will not be endorsing any presidential candidate this year, as owner Jeff Bezos personally killed the staff’s planned endorsement of Kamala Harris.

William Lewis, publisher and chief executive officer of the newspaper, said: “The Washington Post will not be making an endorsement of a presidential candidate in this election. Nor in any future presidential election. We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.”

“We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. That is inevitable,” Lewis said.

“We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects.”

“We also see it as a statement in support of our readers’ ability to make up their own minds on this, the most consequential of American decisions – whom to vote for as the next president.”

Meanwhile, the news staff at the Post published an article Friday revealing editorial page staffers had actually drafted an endorsement of Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president over her Republican contender, former President Donald Trump.

“The decision not to publish was made by The Post’s owner – Amazon founder Jeff Bezos,” the Post reported, citing two sources.

Marty Baron, former editor of the Washington Post, stated: “This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty.”

″@realdonaldtrump will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner @jeffbezos (and others),” Baron wrote. “Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”

The decision not endorse a presidential candidate apparently prompted Robert Kagan, the editor at large of the Post to resign Friday.

The Washington Post Guild, the union representing the staff at the paper, said it was “deeply concerned that The Washington Post – an American news institution in the nation’s capital – would make a decision to no longer endorse presidential candidates, especially a mere 11 days ahead of an immensely consequential election.”


“The message from our chief executive, Will Lewis – not from the Editorial Board itself – makes us concerned that management interfered with the work of our members in Editorial.

“We are already seeing cancellations from once loyal readers,” the Guild said. “This decision undercuts the work of our members at a time when we should be building our readers’ trust, not losing it.”

In August, Trump told Fox Business that Bezos personally phoned him after the assassination attempt in July at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“He was very nice even though he owns The Washington Post,” Trump said of Bezos.

Bezos last posted on X on July 13, mere hours after the would-be assassin’s bullet struck Trump’s ear.

“Our former President showed tremendous grace and courage under literal fire tonight,” Bezos wrote at the time. “So thankful for his safety and so sad for the victims and their families.”


U.S. Rep. Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., said of the Post’s decision not to endorse anyone in the 2024 race: “The first step towards fascism is when the free press cowers in fear.”

As WND reported earlier this week, the owner of the Los Angeles Times instructed the paper not to make a presidential endorsement for the first time in two decades, just weeks ahead of the 2024 election.

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