The Washington Post confirms Jeff Bezos decided it won’t endorse a presidential candidate

The Washington Post announced Friday that it will not endorse a candidate in the upcoming presidential election, a decision that has sparked immediate criticism and marks a significant departure from its longstanding tradition.

As Axios noted Saturday, the Post added a clarification to their original story published Friday about not making an endorsement stating that the decision to not endorsements was made by The Post’s owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

“This article has been revised to clarify that the decision not to publish presidential endorsements was made by the owner of The Washington Post, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos,” the clarification at the bottom of the story reads. “The decision was announced by the publisher of The Post, William Lewis.”

The Post has regularly endorsed presidential candidates since 1976, except the 1988 race. Historically, the paper has predominantly supported Democratic candidates. This move comes despite the editorial staff having drafted an endorsement for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris over GOP nominee Donald Trump.

Post Publisher Will Lewis explained the decision in a piece published online late Friday morning, stating that the paper is returning to its 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 wrote. “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.”

Related story: Trump visiting Texas to tape Joe Rogan’s podcast and to criticize Harris on immigration

Response to the Bezos decision to not endorse a candidate

Lewis’ explanation has not quelled the backlash, with more than 10,000 comments criticizing the move. An editorial board member, citing internal discussions around the resignation, told news website Semafor, “If you don’t have the balls to own a newspaper, don’t.

The announcement has drawn criticism from various quarters, particularly within the media outlet, itself.

A short statement signed by 17 Post columnists has been published on the Post website stating the decision to not make an endorsement is a “terrible mistake.”

“This is a moment for the institution to be making clear its commitment to democratic values, the rule of law and international alliances, and the threat that Donald Trump poses to them — the precise points The Post made in endorsing Trump’s opponents in 2016 and 2020,” the piece reads, in part.

Axios followed the development of that statement and stated, initially, nine columnists signed it. That number has nearly doubled, as of 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

In a piece also published Friday evening, Ruth Marcus, who said she recently marked her 40th year working for the Post in various capacities, called the decision “the wrong choice at the worst possible time.”

“I have never been more disappointed in the newspaper than I am today, with the tragically flawed decision not to make an endorsement in the presidential race,” Marcus wrote.

Former Post executive editor Martin Baron, who led the paper while Trump was president, weighed in on the decision and his comments were pointed.

“This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty. Donald Trump will celebrate this as an invitation to further intimidate The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos (and other media owners),” Baron said in a text message to The Post. “History will mark a disturbing chapter of spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”

The Washington Post Guild also has expressed deep concern over potential management interference, releasing a statement in a thread on X.

A statement from Post Guild leadership on the Washington Post’s decision to not endorse a presidential candidate pic.twitter.com/fYU7hkr79K

— Washington Post Guild (@PostGuild) October 25, 2024

National politics: Harris, Beyoncé team up for a Texas rally on abortion rights, hope battleground states hear them

The Los Angeles Times made a similar decision

The decision follows a similar move by The Los Angeles Times, whose editorial board head, Mariel Garza, resigned in protest.

“I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not okay with us being silent,” Garza told the Columbia Journalism Review in a phone conversation, The Associated Press reported. “In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I’m standing up.”

The Post’s history of endorsements includes supporting Trump’s opponents in 2016 and 2020, with editorials that sharply criticized the Republican candidate.

The controversy underscores the tension between journalistic independence and ownership influence, raising questions about the future role of major newspapers in political endorsements.

Editors’ note: This piece originally was published on Friday, Oct. 25. It has been updated and republished multiple times since then.

Contributing: Steve Coogan

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.