Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein spoke next THE Washington PostThe decision to stop supporting presidential candidates.
The legendary journalists shared a joint statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, addressing the decision to return to an old policy of the publication in which it remained impartial.
“We respect the traditional independence of the editorial page, but this decision 11 days before the 2024 presidential election ignores THE Washington Postof the overwhelming journalistic evidence of the threat Donald Trump poses to democracy,” the statement read.
They continued: “Under the ownership of Jeff Bezos, THE Washington PosHis news operation has used its abundant resources to rigorously investigate the danger and damage that a second Trump presidency could cause to the future of American democracy, and that makes this decision even more surprising and disappointing, especially at this late stage in the electrical trial .
On Friday, the publication announced that it will not support Kamala Harris or Donald Trump in this year's presidential election, a decision it hasn't made since 1988. Instead, The Washington Post will allow readers to decide which candidate to support and maintain this policy moving forward.
A memo has been issued to staff stating CEO Will Lewis wrote: “The Washington Post will not support a presidential candidate in this election. Nor in any future presidential election. We are returning to our roots of not supporting presidential candidates.”
In an effort to head off criticism of the decision, Lewis explained that it had nothing to do with the candidates.
“We recognize that this will be read in various ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. This is inevitable,” the note continued. “We don't see it that way. We consider it consistent with the values The mail he has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in the service of the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects. We also see it as a statement in support of our readers' ability to make up their own minds about this, the most important of American decisions: who to vote for as the next president.”