The multi-billionaire owner of the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos, continued dealing with criticism throughout the weekend due to the fact that executives from his aerospace business consulted with Donald Trump on the very same day the paper avoided its editorial group from releasing a recommendation of his challenger in the United States governmental election. Senior news and viewpoint leaders at the Washington Post flew to Miami in late September 2024 to consult with Bezos, who had appointments about the paper providing a recommendation in the 5 November election, the New York Times reported. Amazon and the area expedition business Blue Origin are amongst Bezos-owned companies that still complete for profitable federal government agreements. And the Post on Friday revealed it would not back a prospect in the 5 November election after its editorial board had actually currently prepared its recommendation of Kamala Harris. Friday’s statement did not point out Amazon or Blue Origin. Within hours, high-ranking authorities of the latter business briefly fulfilled with Trump after a project speech in Austin, Texas, as the Republican candidate looks for a 2nd presidency. Trump consulted with Blue Origin president David Limp and vice-president of federal government relations Megan Mitchell, the Associated Press reported. CNN reported that the Amazon CEO, Andy Jassy, had actually likewise just recently reached out to speak with the previous president by phone. Those reported overtures were devitalized by Washington Post editor-at-large and long time writer Robert Kagan, who resigned on Friday. On Saturday, he argued that the conference Blue Origin executives had with Trump would not have actually occurred if the Post had actually backed the Democratic vice-president as it prepared. “Trump waited to make certain that Bezos did what he stated he was going to do– and after that met heaven Origin individuals,” Kagan informed the Daily Beast on Saturday. “Which informs us that there was a real offer made, implying that Bezos interacted, or through his individuals, interacted straight with Trump, and they established this quid professional quo.” The Post’s publisher Will Lewis, employed by Bezos in January, protected the paper’s owner by declaring the choice to increase the Harris recommendation was his. That has actually done little to pacify criticism from within the paper’s ranks as well as the wave of membership cancelations that has actually satisfied the organization. Eighteen viewpoint writers at the Washington Post signed a dissenting column versus the choice, calling it “an awful error”. The paper has actually currently made recommendations this election cycle, consisting of in a United States senate seat race in Maryland. The Washington Post backed Hillary Clinton when Trump won the presidency in 2016. It backed Joe Biden when Trump lost in 2020, regardless of Trump’s promises to strike back versus anybody who opposed him. In their criticism of the Post’s choice on Friday, previous and present workers mention the threats to democracy positioned by Trump, who has actually freely revealed his appreciation for authoritarian guideline amidst his appeals for citizens to return him to workplace. The previous Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, who broke the Watergate story, called the choice “frustrating, particularly this late in the electoral procedure”. The previous Washington Post managing editor Marty Baron stated in a post on X, “This is cowardice with democracy as its casualty”. The animation group at the paper released a dark formless image opposing versus the non-endorsement choice, using the “democracy passes away in darkness” motto that the Post embraced in 2017, 5 years after its purchase by Bezos. Prominent readers, consisting of the bestselling author Stephen King along with the previous congresswoman and singing Trump critic Liz Cheney, revealed the cancellation of their Washington Post memberships with numerous others in demonstration. The Post’s non-endorsement came soon after the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Times, Patrick Soon-Shiong, declined to permit the editorial board release a recommendation of Harris. Lots of explained how the positions from the Post and the LA Times appears to fit the meaning of “anticipatory obedience” as defined in On Tyranny, Tim Snyder’s successful guide to authoritarianism. Snyder specifies the term as “offering over your power to the striving authoritarian” before the authoritarian remains in position to force that handover. Bezos is the 2nd most affluent individual worldwide behind Elon Musk, who has actually ended up being a popular advocate of Trump’s project for a 2nd presidency. He purchased the Washington Post in 2013 for $250m. In 2021, Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon, declaring throughout a podcast interview that he meant to dedicate more time to Blue Origin. The New York Times reported Bezos had actually started to get more associated with the paper in 2023 as it dealt with substantial monetary losses, a stream of worker departures and low spirits. His choice of Lewis as publisher in January apparently did little to assist spirits at the paper. Staff members and followers of the paper were stressed that Lewis was induced to the Post regardless of accusations that he “fraudulently acquired phone and business records in news article” as a reporter in London, as the New York Times reported. In a memo to newsroom leaders in June 2024, Bezos composed, “The journalistic requirements and principles at the Post will not alter.”
Bezos deals with criticism after executives met Trump on day of Post’s non-endorsement
