WaPo columnist calls out Jeff Bezos' 'bulls--- explanation' on non-endorsement: 'Bending the knee' to Trump

Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin had immoderate harsh words for her paper's billionaire proprietor Jeff Bezos complete his "bulls--- explanation" down nan non-endorsement successful nan 2024 statesmanlike race. 

"First of all, I do not judge nan logic stated. I don't judge they person abruptly decided – he has abruptly decided that we should endorse everybody isolated from statesmanlike candidates, and that of each nan elections, this is nan 1 to commencement pinch this caller policy," Rubin began Tuesday's installment of "Jen Rubin's Green Room" podcast. "We endorsed a statesmanlike campaigner successful 2020 nary problem. And I comprehend this, and moreover if it's not intended, it is inevitably perceived arsenic bending nan knee to Donald Trump astatine nan worst imaginable infinitesimal erstwhile populist is connected nan line."

"You person a billionaire who has a business speech from The Post that does business pinch nan national authorities deciding not to tally afoul of a man who has declared warfare connected populist and connected nan free press, and I still find it perfectly inconceivable that personification who owns a newspaper would do this," Rubin continued. 

WASHINGTON POST NEWSROOM IN UPROAR OVER JEFF BEZOS' ‘TONE-DEAF’ OP-ED DEFENDING NON-ENDORSEMENT, STAFFER SAYS

Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin blasted billionaire Jeff Bezos' "bulls--- explanation" down nan paper's determination to not endorse successful nan 2024 statesmanlike race. (Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images)

Rubin, besides an MSNBC contributor, decried nan reported 250,000 readers that person canceled their subscriptions since Friday erstwhile it was announced it would not beryllium endorsing a campaigner aft it was group to backmost Vice President Kamala Harris.

"How could you not understand what The Washington Post intends to nan public?" Rubin asked Bezos. "We are not only a reliable root of news, but group look to america because they attraction what we deliberation connected nan sentiment side. They want to person immoderate civilized clarity. They want to person immoderate governmental clarity. And depriving them of that severs a enslaved and a level of spot that has been built up complete decades. And it breaks my bosom to publication these emails expressing their emotion for nan insubstantial and frankly, for my ain work, but saying they cannot successful bully conscience proceed to subscribe. How could you not understand nan harm to nan brand, what you were dealing with, what you were entrusted with, erstwhile you make a determination for illustration that?"

"I americium arsenic troubled by nan truth that nan logic fixed was not candid, was not accurate. Why messiness astir if you say, 'Hey, I'm a businessman. I don't want to endorse anyone because I don't want to impact those businesses.' Yeah, everyone will beryllium aghast, but astatine slightest you'd beryllium honest. At slightest you'd beryllium taking responsibility. When a newspaper is forced to beforehand a bulls--- explanation, really overmuch much harm does that do to The Washington Post? But nan problem goes good beyond Jeff Bezos and nan Washington Post, it goes beyond nan LA Times. It goes beyond USA Today. This is simply a matter of really free societies take sides themselves against fascist threats," she continued. 

JEFF BEZOS ADDRESSES WASHINGTON POST ENDORSEMENT FIASCO, CITES DISTRUST IN MEDIA LED TO ‘PRINCIPLED DECISION’

Washington Post proprietor Jeff Bezos fueled uproar successful his paper's newsroom pinch his op-ed defending nan "principled decision" to extremity statesmanlike endorsements.  ((Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)

Rubin, who antecedently joined much than 20 columnist colleagues denouncing nan paper's decision, went connected to impeach Bezos of "self-censorship" and "obedience successful advance," calling it a "horrible precedent" to "pull their punches" and that it will let "fascist forces" to power nan press. 

"And if you're a billionaire and you can't do it, you can't guidelines up to power, really do you deliberation mini businesses, How do you deliberation mean people, really do you deliberation civilian nine is gonna react?" Rubin asked. "They, too, are gonna genuflect moreover earlier they're told to successful bid to support nan king happy. Now, successful nan large strategy of things, life will spell on. The Washington Post will proceed to publish. Hopefully we'll person much elections, hopefully Kamala Harris will win. But arsenic for me, I tin opportunity this has affected maine successful immoderate really important ways… And arsenic a result, I will beryllium moreover much observant successful what I constitute and opportunity – not observant successful nan consciousness of pulling my punches, but deliberate, well-thought-out because are listening and group attraction and group salary attention. That is simply a immense responsibility, and I'm really gladsome I was reminded of it this week."

The Washington Post did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment. 

WAPO STAFFER UNSURE PAPER CAN RECOVER AS BEZOS-OWNED OUTLET SHEDS 250,000 SUBSCRIBERS OVER ENDORSEMENT FIASCO

Rubin accused Bezos of "bending nan knee" to erstwhile President Trump pinch nan endorsement move, calling it "obedience successful advance" that will let "fascist forces" to power nan press. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The cardinal statement of Bezos' op-ed was nan wide distrust Americans person successful nan bequest media. 

"We must beryllium accurate, and we must beryllium believed to beryllium accurate. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but we are failing connected nan 2nd requirement," Bezos wrote connected Monday. "Most group judge nan media is biased. Anyone who doesn’t spot this is paying scant attraction to reality, and those who conflict reality lose. Reality is an undefeated champion. It would beryllium easy to blasted others for our agelong and continuing autumn successful credibility (and, therefore, diminution successful impact), but a unfortunate mentality will not help. Complaining is not a strategy. We must activity harder to power what we tin power to summation our credibility."

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That, however, didn't resonate good successful nan Washington Post newsroom. 

"Terrible. Whole newsroom successful uproar complete it. Tone-deaf and ill-informed," 1 staffer reacted to Fox News Digital.