‘Fundamentally saddened’: Washington Post readers on failure to endorse Harris
GuardianOCT 20 2024
Former Washington Post editor-at-large Robert Kagan resigned following the non-endorsement decision and alleged a quid pro quo agreement between Bezos and Donald Trump to prevent the paper from endorsing Kamala Harris.
Kagan pointed to a meeting between Trump and executives from Bezos' Blue Origin space company on the same day as the non-endorsement announcement as evidence of the alleged deal.
The decision not to endorse a candidate has led to significant backlash, including criticism from former and current employees, as well as a reported 2,000 subscription cancellations within 24 hours.
The Washington Post's decision to refrain from endorsing a presidential candidate is a step towards true journalistic neutrality. It allows readers to form their own opinions without undue influence from the paper. The allegations of a quid pro quo are baseless and ignore the publisher's stated reasons for the decision.