The Washington Post is facing a staff revolt after blocking a presidential recommendation

• The Washington Post's decision not to endorse a presidential candidate has sparked a backlash from the workforce.
• The newspaper reported that owner Jeff Bezos made the call and that an endorsement from Harris was planned.
• The news sparked fears of management interference and possible self-censorship in a close race.

The Washington Post editorial board is in turmoil after the newspaper reported that for the first time in 40 years it would not support a presidential candidate and that its owner Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, made the decision.

Editor-in-chief Robert Kagan, who has warned in columns of a “Trump dictatorship,” has resigned, Semafor reported, and insiders predicted more would follow.

A member of the editorial board spoke anonymously to protect his job and said the editorial board was in the dark about the decision until Friday.

“People are angry. It’s terrible when a billionaire doesn’t have the courage to stand up to Donald Trump,” this person said.

“I saw a lot of fear; people are upset,” another insider told The Washington Post.

Publisher and CEO Will Lewis announced the decision in a column Friday, saying he wanted readers to form their own opinions, supported by the newspaper's “impartial news” and “the views reported by our opinion team.” He said the newspaper had failed to endorse candidates in the past.

Separately, the newspaper published an article citing anonymous sources that said editorial staff had already written a Harris recommendation that had yet to be published.

The newspaper's editorial guild released a statement saying Lewis' decision raised concerns that management had interfered in the editorial process and that readers had canceled their subscriptions.

“This decision undermines the work of our members at a time when we should be building, not losing, the trust of our readers,” the union wrote.

Some people posted on X that they had canceled their subscriptions in response to the news.

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Retired WaPo editor-in-chief Marty Baron also posted on X, calling the decision “cowardice of which democracy is the victim.”

A Washington Post spokesman referred to Lewis' statement and declined to comment further. A Bezos representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The decision has stoked fears that news outlets are censoring themselves out of fear of retaliation from former President Donald Trump, who has publicly called for revenge against his enemies. The Los Angeles Times endorsed statewide candidates but declined to endorse a presidential candidate this year, leading to three staff resignations.

The decision also reflects the challenges of running a media company in a deeply divided time when trust in the media is waning.

The LA Times and the Washington Post are among the few news organizations, along with Time and The Boston Globe, that have been taken over in recent years by billionaires who made their money in other areas. The recent controversies over support could undermine the billionaire's dream of being a newspaper savior.

Bezos and Trump have feuded over the years. The Post saw a surge in subscriptions as it pursued aggressive coverage of Trump's administration and introduced the slogan “Democracy Dies in the Dark.” Trump mocked Bezos and the Washington Post, calling him “Jeff Bozo.” But Bezos voiced his support after the July shooting at a Trump rally.

Many CEOs have declined to speak publicly about the razor-thin presidential election. Top executives have historically taken the position that going into politics can be bad for business so they don't alienate part of their customer base.

The support turmoil is the latest for the newspaper and for Lewis, who faced scrutiny when he replaced editor-in-chief Sally Buzbee — and then resigned from his choice of replacement. Lewis has also faced questions about his previous role in a phone-hacking scandal in Britain.