The Washington Post has announced it will not endorse any presidential candidate in the upcoming 2024 election, marking a significant departure from its long-standing tradition. Publisher William Lewis shared this decision in a note to readers on Friday, indicating that the newspaper will refrain from making endorsements “in any future presidential election.”
This is the first time in 36 years that the Post has chosen not to endorse a candidate in a presidential race. Lewis emphasized that the decision could be interpreted in various ways—potentially seen as a silent endorsement for one candidate or a rejection of another—but clarified that the Post views it as a commitment to its core values.
“We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility,” Lewis wrote. “That is inevitable. We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for.”
“Our job as the newspaper of the capital city of the most important country in the world is to be independent,” Lewis concluded. “And that is what we are and will be.”
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The decision not to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump follows a similar stance taken by the Los Angeles Times, where the owner’s choice not to endorse led to resignations among top editors.
While the Post will not endorse a presidential candidate, it has made endorsements in other races, such as supporting Democrat Angela Alsobrooks in her Maryland Senate campaign against former Governor Larry Hogan. In previous election cycles, the Post endorsed Joe Biden in 2020 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.
The decision has drawn criticism from former top Post editor Marty Baron, who described it as “disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.” He expressed concerns that this stance could embolden Trump and compromise the newspaper’s integrity.
“This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty,” Baron wrote on X. This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty. Donald Trump will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner Jeff Bezos (and others). Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”
The Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, who appointed Lewis as publisher this year amid some controversy related to Lewis’s previous work with conservative tabloids in the UK. This backdrop has contributed to ongoing tensions within the newspaper.
