Washington Post editor resigns after board declines to endorse presidential candidates

An editor at the Washington Post resigned on Friday, after the paper announced that its editorial board would not endorse a presidential candidate this year, or in any future presidential elections.

The exit comes after the editorial editor at the Los Angeles Times resigned her post earlier this week, because the owner of the paper reportedly told the editorial board not to endorse a presidential candidate this year, even after they warned of the potential dangers of former President Donald Trump returning to the White House.

Washington Post Editor at Large Robert Kagan, who wrote the book "Rebellion: How Antiliberalism is Tearing America Apart — Again," has been one of the paper's biggest Trump critics. He confirmed to Fox News that his departure was because of the paper's decision not to endorse a candidate.

Publisher William Lewis made the announcement in a note to readers on Friday. The decision marks the first time that the national paper has not endorsed a presidential candidate in 36 years. 

“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.”

Anonymous sources within the outlet claimed that the decision was made by the Post’s owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. They also claimed that the paper's staffers had prepared an endorsement for Harris. 

“This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty," former Post executive editor Marty Baron told the outlet. "Donald Trump will celebrate this as an invitation to further intimidate The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos (and other media owners) ... History will mark a disturbing chapter of spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”

The Washington Post's editorial board, which is separate from the news side of the publication, has largely endorsed Democratic candidates since 1976.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.