For the second time this week, Kamala Harris failed to secure a key endorsement. On Friday, The Washington Post announced that for the first time in decades, it will not endorse a candidate in this year’s presidential election. The left-leaning paper was widely expected to endorse Kamala.
"The Washington Post will not be making an endorsement of a presidential candidate in this election," wrote William Lewis, the publisher and CEO of the paper. "Nor in any future presidential election. We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates."
The Washington Post has consistently endorsed Democrats in presidential elections, supporting candidates like Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden. The only exception came in 1988 when the paper withheld its endorsement from both major candidates. However, for the 2024 election, the Post has decided not to endorse any candidate.
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“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. That is inevitable,” Lewis continued. “We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects.”
He added, "We also see it as a statement in support of our readers’ ability to make up their own minds on this, the most consequential of American decisions — whom to vote for as the next president."
Earlier in the week, the Los Angeles Times also declined to endorse Kamala, marking the first time it has withheld an endorsement since 2008. According to sources, the decision came from owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, despite the editorial board’s intent to endorse Harris. The last-minute decision has stirred controversy, but an L.A. Times spokesperson declined to comment on internal discussions or endorsement choices.
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As PJ Media's Rick Moran noted, "Soon-Shiong's daughter Nika is a pro-Palestinian, radical left activist who has coddled the far-left staffers in the newsroom, emboldening their coverage of the Gaza war and other far-left causes."
Marty Baron, the former executive editor of The Washington Post, blasted the paper's decision not to endorse Harris.
On political endorsement https://t.co/e5OTZhylIE
— Marty Baron (@PostBaron) October 25, 2024
This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty. @realdonaldtrump will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner @jeffbezos (and others). Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.
Kamala has faced other embarrassing non-endorsements. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which typically endorses Democrats, didn't endorse any candidate after the union's rank-and-file members voted overwhelmingly to endorse Donald Trump.
How many more humiliations can Harris endure?
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