The US Election Countdown newsletter offers key stories concerning money and politics in the presidential race, available for free access. On Monday, Jeff Bezos addressed the controversy surrounding his ownership of the Washington Post, expressing in a newspaper editorial his “principled decision” not to endorse any candidate for the US presidency.
Bezos refuted claims that the newspaper’s choice not to publish an opinion piece endorsing Kamala Harris, which had been prepared by the Post’s editorial team, was linked to a “quid pro quo” involving Blue Origin, his aerospace company, and former President Donald Trump. Last week, the Post reported that its editorial board had drafted an endorsement for Harris, which was not published following a decision by Bezos, who has owned the newspaper for 11 years. This marked the first time the Post abstained from endorsing a candidate since 1988.
The involvement of Bezos, one of the world’s richest individuals, with such a prominent American newspaper has ignited intense criticism from current and former staff of the Post, including Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, known for their Watergate investigation 40 years ago. In his Monday statement, Bezos explained his opposition to endorsements, citing their potential to create a “perception of bias,” and expressed regret over the decision’s timing. He stated, “I wish we had made the change earlier than we did, in a moment further from the election and the emotions around it,” attributing it to insufficient planning rather than a deliberate strategy.
Bezos acknowledged that Blue Origin’s CEO, Dave Limp, met with Trump on the same Friday that Post publisher Sir William Lewis announced the decision not to endorse; however, Bezos asserted that there is “no connection” between the meeting and his decision, dismissing any claims to the contrary as false.
The decision has incensed many at the Post and among its readership. According to NPR, over 200,000 people, constituting about 8 percent of subscribers, had canceled their digital subscriptions by midday on Monday, though a Washington Post spokesperson declined to comment on this number. Editor-at-large Robert Kagan resigned from the paper in protest.
The Trump campaign has capitalized on the controversy, alongside other newspapers that have refrained from endorsing a candidate this year. “The Washington Post decided to nuke their presidential endorsements for good rather than endorse Harris-Walz,” stated the Trump campaign. Recently, 17 Post columnists signed an editorial labeling the decision “a terrible mistake” during a crucial time “when one candidate is advocating positions that directly threaten freedom of the press and the values of the constitution.”
With the financial landscape of the news industry in flux, more US newspapers have been acquired by billionaires over the last 15 years, including the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and the Las Vegas Review Journal. Bezos purchased the Post in 2013 for $250 million. Initially, the newspaper experienced a turnaround, gaining millions of subscribers with comprehensive coverage of Trump and his presidency, but has since struggled to maintain that momentum.
The acquisition of news outlets by billionaires has been controversial, with critics arguing it leaves news organizations vulnerable to the influence of wealthy proprietors. In his 2023 memoir, former Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron observed that Bezos executed decisions “at a speed that was unprecedented in my experience. He personally owned 100 percent of the company. He didn’t need to consult anyone.”