Jeff Bezos caused a stir by blocking the Washington Post from endorsing Kamala Harris and now, after the election, has publicly praised Donald Trump, wishing him "success" for his political comeback.
In the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, both Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong, another billionaire media mogul and owner of the Los Angeles Times, reportedly intervened to prevent the papers from endorsing Harris.
The decision to block the endorsement was directly attributed to Bezos, signaling a rare instance of editorial interference by a newspaper owner.
"The decision not to publish was made by The Post's owner — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos," The Post stated, as reported by The Hill.
Today, one day after the election, Bezos posted a message on X congratulating Trump on his "extraordinary political comeback" and wishing him "all success" in leading the nation.
"Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love," Bezos wrote.
Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love.
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) November 6, 2024
Most of Bezos' fans seemed to support his congratulatory note, calling the Amazon founder "a leader" and "insanely based," meaning authentic or unapologetically true to themselves.
One user wrote, "Well said Jeff. Now put some of your vast amounts of money where your mouth is and go gut the Washington Post and turn that socialist rag into a respectful media outlet once and for all."
Another added, "Jeff, you went against the status quo of not making an endorsement towards the democrats. You're a businessman and a leader not a loser and a follower. You got balls."
"Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love," Bezos wrote.
The message marks a significant shift in tone from the billionaire's previous public stance. Many speculate the public praise of Trump is potentially one step in the direction of Bezos' influence over The Washington Post's coverage.
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