Jeff Bezos Critiques Washington Post in Dinner with Trump
In a recent book by New York Times reporters Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman, it was revealed that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos labeled the Washington Post as a “worst investment” during a dinner with then-President-elect Donald Trump in December 2024. This conversation took place just months before Bezos authorized significant layoffs at the newspaper.
After the Post reported losses exceeding $100 million that year, Bezos expressed frustration to Trump about the management running the business side of the paper. He reportedly told Trump, “The people there are terrible.” In the book, titled Regime Change: Inside the Donald Trump Presidency, Bezos highlighted the differences between the Post and his other ventures, mentioning that the newspaper’s executives were failing to heed his guidance.
Trump’s Concerns About the Paper’s Coverage
During the same dinner, Trump brought up his displeasure with the Post’s coverage, characterizing it as “really unfair” and advising Bezos to exercise more caution regarding the paper’s reporting. The authors note that while both men shared discontent with the Post, their reasons differed significantly.
Bezos and Trump’s Frustrations
Interestingly, Trump had once believed that Bezos controlled the newspaper’s reporting during his initial term in office. He remarked, “I didn’t believe him in his first term. That’s why I hated him. And I believed him.” According to the book, Trump indicated that their friendship had soured after Bezos purchased the Post, but later, Bezos claimed that those close to him had encouraged the acquisition.
Backlash and Changes at the Washington Post
Following the 2024 election, where the Post did not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, the paper faced backlash from subscribers, leading to cancellations and internal turmoil. Bezos defended this choice in an October 2024 statement, asserting that the president’s endorsement could create perceived bias. “What the president’s endorsement actually does is create a perception of bias,” he stated.
In February 2025, Bezos announced a new focus for the Post’s opinion section, steering it towards themes of “individual freedom and free markets.” This shift led to the resignation of opinion editor David Shipley. The following month, plans to cut a third of the staff and eliminate various sections, including sports reporting and several foreign bureaus, were revealed. Executive editor Matt Murray communicated to the staff, “We cannot be everything to everyone.”
Shortly after the layoffs, Will Lewis, the former publisher and CEO of the Post, resigned, while Jeff D’Onofrio, the chief financial officer, stepped in as interim CEO and publisher. A spokesperson for the newspaper declined to comment on the matter.
