Jonathan Capehart Leaves Washington Post Amid Editorial Changes
Jonathan Capehart, a columnist for the Washington Post, has resigned, marking another significant departure as the paper undergoes editorial changes under owner Jeff Bezos.
Capehart, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist known for his critical views on President Trump, has been with the paper since 2007. His resignation was first reported by Axios on Monday.
In his last column, published in May, Capehart discussed his views on Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the president.
Earlier that same month, he stepped down from the editorial board following a disagreement with colleagues over racial justice issues connected to Georgia’s voting laws.
Capehart previously referred to Trump as “the cancer of American society” and made comparisons to historical events, such as a Nazi rally held at Madison Square Garden in 1939.
The specifics of his resignation have not been disclosed.
Representatives from the Washington Post have not responded to requests for comments regarding his departure.
Despite leaving the Post, Capehart continues to co-host a show on MSNBC and appears as a panelist for PBS’s “Newshour.”
This resignation comes soon after Washington Post CEO Will Lewis advised employees who feel misaligned with the paper’s editorial direction to consider stepping down.
Capehart’s exit adds to a list of departures as the newspaper shifts its editorial stance. In February, Bezos directed the opinion section to emphasize “personal freedom and the free market,” leading to the resignations of opinion editor David Shipley and several others, including Ruth Marcus.
A new opinion editor, Adam O’Neill, was appointed last month after the changes.
Additionally, columnist Joe Davidson announced his resignation after one of his pieces was killed for being “too voiced.” He criticized the paper’s ownership, suggesting it promoted an image aligned with Trump.
The Washington Post has also faced backlash from subscribers, particularly after Bezos intervened to block Kamala Harris’s planned endorsement for the president, resulting in about 250,000 cancellations.
In January, numerous notable reporters and editors left for competing outlets, highlighting further instability within the ranks. For instance, managing editor Matea Gold transitioned to the New York Times Washington Bureau, coinciding with the layoffs of multiple business staff amid profit concerns.
Earlier this year, more than 400 Post employees signed a petition expressing concerns over editorial independence and administrative decisions.
