Amazon founder Jeff Bezos faces backlash over editorial decision amid Trump links

Late last month, senior editorial leaders from The Washington Post reportedly travelled to Miami to meet with Bezos, who had expressed reservations about endorsing Harris in the 5 November election.

On Friday, The Washington Post announced it would not endorse any candidate, a decision that followed its drafting of an endorsement for Harris. Hours later, Blue Origin executives, including CEO David Limp and Vice President Megan Mitchell, reportedly met with Trump in Austin, Texas, after a campaign speech, as reported by the Associated Press.

Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, is also reported to have recently reached out to Trump by phone, CNN reported. Blue Origin and Amazon, both owned by Bezos, have ongoing interests in federal contracts, heightening scrutiny around these interactions.

Robert Kagan, a columnist and editor-at-large at The Washington Post, resigned on Friday, condemning the paper’s non-endorsement. He later told The Daily Beast: “Trump waited to make sure that Bezos did what he said he was going to do – and then met with the Blue Origin people,” adding, “That tells us there was a deal made, a quid pro quo of sorts.”

The Washington Post publisher Will Lewis defended Bezos, claiming he himself made the call to pull the endorsement. However, the decision was met with strong opposition from within the paper. Eighteen opinion writers signed a statement calling the move “a terrible mistake,” and The Washington Post saw a wave of subscription cancellations in response, including those from prominent readers like author Stephen King and former Congresswoman Liz Cheney.

Some former and current Washington Post staff also voiced their dismay. Veteran journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward described the decision as “disappointing,” while former executive editor Marty Baron tweeted: “This is cowardice with democracy as its casualty.” The paper’s cartoon team published a formless dark image in protest, a pointed reference to the slogan, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”

In a similar development, The Los Angeles Times, owned by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, also opted not to endorse Harris, drawing accusations of “anticipatory obedience” – a concept described in Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny as conceding power to an authoritarian figure even before they can demand it.

Bezos, who acquired The Washington Post in 2013, stepped down as Amazon’s CEO in 2021, stating his intent to focus on Blue Origin.

However, The New York Times noted that Bezos became more involved with the paper in 2023 as it faced significant financial challenges. His appointment of Lewis as publisher in January has done little to lift morale, with The New York Times reporting allegations of past misconduct by Lewis during his journalism career in London.

In a memo in June, Bezos insisted, “The journalistic standards and ethics at the Post will not change.”