HuffPost's top editor has resigned after the left-leaning news site was hit with mass layoffs and amid growing anger that the parent company was “bowing to MAGA” ahead of President Donald Trump's inauguration this month.
Editor-in-chief Daniel Belton announced late Thursday that he would be leaving the company. It comes two days after the BuzzFeed-owned site announced it would cut 30 jobs, or 22% of HuffPost's newsroom.
“I cannot, in good faith, ask others to make this difficult decision without doing the same,” Belton wrote in a memo to staff.
“By nature, I'm a very sensitive and emotional person. That's why we haven't been able to communicate as much these past few days.”
Belton added that editors-in-chief Kate Palmer and Whitney Snyder will take over the newsroom and the company will consider “next steps” in the editor-in-chief role.
The layoffs followed reports this summer that former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswami, who owns a minority stake in HuffPost's parent company, was pushing for cuts at the company.
News of Belton's departure and widespread layoffs related to business challenges drew the ire of BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti.
“This is a tough business, and I'm not immune to layoffs, but is he another MAGA executive?” HuffPost National Editor-in-Chief Posted by George Zonick on X on Thursday. “Again, I know there will be layoffs. Trust me I know. But the shocking scale of the layoffs announced this week is a sign that financials obtained by HuffPost The information doesn't match. We have little, if any, explanation.”
HuffPost senior reporter Alexander Kaufman shared Zonik's post on X and added: “In the coming weeks, HuffPost plans to cut more than a quarter of its newsroom. Below. @gzornickThanks to your leadership, my team won awards, broke major news, and tripled our monthly traffic goals. How does dismantling us serve long-term business and journalistic goals?”
Mr. Zonic also shared excerpts from Mr. Peretti's recent interview with Semaphore, following his meeting with Mr. Ramaswamy, who bought 9% of BuzzFeed last summer.
He cited an interview in which he explored the role Ramaswamy, who was recently tapped by President Trump to lead the newly proposed Department of Government Efficiency alongside Elon Musk, might play on the left-wing site.
Ramaswamy “does not have control” of BuzzFeed and expects to “find a way to successfully exit his investment in BuzzFeed.” This was said in the interview.
Semafor also mused: Ramaswamy is also pushing to cut costs. ”
