Top editors condemn Jeff Bezos' decision to kill Kamala Harris' endorsement at The Washington Post

David Maraniss, Associate Editor at The Washington Post — whose newspaper coverage of Bill Clinton won him the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 1993 — spoke for many The postJeff Bezos' newsroom reported on Jeff Bezos' decision to support Kamala Harris for president.

Maraniss, who also served as The postThe lead reporter for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign issued an angry statement to the Daily Beast after Bezos' decision was endorsed by Will Lewis, the paper's ousted CEO.

Two sources told Post reporters that Bezos personally rejected an endorsement for Kamala Harris written by the paper's editorial staff.

Maraniss said: “I find this despicable. Marty Baron is right. This is not an act of benevolent neutrality, but an act of cowardice in the face of the greatest challenge to democracy in our post-World War II life.

“Ben Bradlee, ten years dead, lies heavy in his grave.”

His statement echoes one made today by Baron, the editor-in-chief of The post from 2012 to 2021, posted on The post's owner Jeff Bezos (and other media owners). History will mark a disturbing chapter in the spinelessness of an institution known for its courage.”

Another important editor, Marcus Brauchli – who was the predecessor Baron from 2008 to 2012 The post's editor-in-chief and publisher The Wall Street Journal Before that, he offered his own scathing criticism of Bezos' decision in a statement to The Beast: “There are certainly good reasons a newspaper could give for not supporting a presidential candidate.

“The post offered nothing and the timing was terrible and looks despondent or cowardly no matter the reasoning. It also did not state whether it intends to continue to assist in state and local races, where its viewpoint is of enormous importance to local readers.”

A major Silicon Valley venture capitalist told The Beast he found the decision “absolutely terrible.” I’m glad people are standing down – Trump’s intimidation attempts are already at work.”

Don Graham, the former editor of The postwho sold the paper to Bezos — and whose mother, Katharine Graham, famously defied the Nixon White House over Watergate and the release of the Pentagon Papers — declined to comment.

But Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the household names who broke the Watergate story, issued their own statement:

“We respect the editorial board’s traditional independence, but this decision 11 days before the 2024 presidential election ignores the Washington Post’s overwhelming reporting evidence about the threat Donald Trump poses to democracy.”

“Under Jeff Bezos’ leadership, The Washington Post’s news department has used its abundant resources to thoroughly investigate the threat and The damage that a second Trump presidency could do to the future of American democracy makes this decision even more surprising and disappointing, especially so late in the electoral process.”

The Post's cartoonist and several columnists at the paper also protested the decision.