Washington Post columnist quits, calling the decision to 'withhold' endorsement a 'terrible mistake'

• Michele Norris said she resigned arsenic a columnist astatine The Washington Post.
• Norris said nan Post's determination not to endorse Kamala Harris was a "terrible mistake."
• The Post reported that its owner, Jeff Bezos, made nan decision.

Michele Norris, a columnist astatine The Washington Post, has resigned, making her nan astir caller staffer to time off complete nan newspaper's determination not to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris successful nan 2024 statesmanlike election.

Norris shared nan news successful an X station connected Sunday.

"The Washington Post's determination to withhold an endorsement that had been written & approved successful an predetermination wherever halfway antiauthoritarian principles are astatine liking was a unspeakable correction & an reproach to nan paper's ain longstanding modular of regularly endorsing candidates since 1976," she wrote.

The Washington Post said connected Friday that it would not endorse a US statesmanlike candidate, angering immoderate editorial staff, including editor astatine ample Robert Kagan, who connected Friday besides resigned.

Publisher and CEO Will Lewis wrote successful a file connected Friday that nan determination was made to let Post readers to "make up their ain minds" connected who to ballot for successful nan statesmanlike election.

"Our occupation astatine The Washington Post is to supply done nan newsroom nonpartisan news for each Americans, and thought-provoking, reported views from our sentiment squad to thief our readers dress up their ain minds," he wrote. "Most of all, our occupation arsenic nan newspaper of nan superior metropolis of nan astir important state successful nan world is to beryllium independent."

Norris, who had been a high-profile sentiment columnist astatine nan Post since 2019, said connected X that nan "reason fixed successful nary measurement justifies" nan alteration successful policy.

"I americium profoundly disappointed by nan Post's determination to reverse people and withhold a statesmanlike endorsement successful this predetermination rhythm erstwhile nan fantabulous reporting passim nan entirety of nan insubstantial makes clear each that is astatine liking successful nan predetermination and astir nan world," she wrote.

The newspaper published a abstracted article connected Friday reporting that its owner, Amazon laminitis Jeff Bezos, yet made nan call.

The Post reported that editorial page staffers had drafted an endorsement for Harris, who is vying for nan Oval Office against erstwhile President Donald Trump.

Former Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron criticized nan move successful a matter to nan newspaper, according to The Post's article connected Friday.

"This is cowardice, a infinitesimal of acheronian that will time off populist arsenic a casualty. Donald Trump will observe this arsenic an invitation to further intimidate The Post's owner, Jeff Bezos (and different media owners)," he said. "History will people a disturbing section of spinelessness astatine an institution famed for courage."

A typical for The Washington Post declined to comment.