Watergate reporters react to the Washington Post REFUSING to back a 2024 candidate

The infamous Washington Post reporters who uncovered Watergate person slammed nan paper's determination not to endorse a statesmanlike candidate. 

The Washington Post announced connected Friday that it would not backmost a statesmanlike candidate, marking nan first time successful 36 years that nan left-leaning insubstantial has declined to do so.  

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein later released a associated connection to CNN successful which they expressed their disappointment successful nan Post's decision. 

It said: 'We respect nan accepted independency of nan editorial page, but this determination 11 days retired from nan 2024 presidential election ignores nan Washington Post’s ain overwhelming reportorial grounds connected nan threat Donald Trump poses to democracy.

'Under Jeff Bezos’s ownership, nan Washington Post’s news cognition has utilized its abundant resources to rigorously analyse nan threat and harm a 2nd Trump presidency could origin to nan early of American democracy.

'That makes this determination moreover much astonishing and disappointing, particularly this precocious successful nan electoral process.'

Woodward and Bernstein became legends successful nan world of publicity aft they collapsed Watergate - a sordid governmental ungraded that progressive nan Nixon management and his re-election campaign. 

Thanks to nan pair's investigative reporting, nan existent grade of Watergate was uncovered, and Nixon was yet forced to resign from office. 

Woodward and Bernstein aren't nan only ones who are disappointment pinch nan Post's decision, though. 

Many of nan outlet's wide readers are now pledging to cancel their subscriptions.

The paper's page editor David Shipley had already approved an endorsement of Harris and had reportedly told colleagues that it was being reviewed by nan paper's proprietor Jeff Bezos, according to NPR. 

But connected Friday CEO Will Lewis published an op-ed that nan insubstantial is returning to its 'roots of not endorsing statesmanlike candidates.'

It comes conscionable days aft The Los Angeles Times announced it would besides not beryllium endorsing anyone for nan November statesmanlike elections. 

The paper's unit learned of nan determination from page editor Shipley successful a 'tense' gathering connected Friday, according to NPR. 

Shipley told unit he owned nan determination and it was meant to create 'independent space' wherever nan insubstantial does not show group really to vote. 

However, The Post itself has reported that it was Bezos who made nan determination to not endorse a statesmanlike candidate.

Columnist Robert Kagan, a blimpish Trump critic, resigned from his position successful nan editorial committee aft nan determination emerged.

The consequence from nan Post's unit has been 'uniformly outraged,'  according to NPR's David Folkenflik.

The Washington Post Guild issued a connection denouncing nan move.

'We are profoundly concerned that The Washington Post would make nan determination to nary longer endorse statesmanlike candidates, particularly a specified 11 days up of an immensely consequential election,' it read.

'The domiciled of an Editorial Board is to do conscionable this: to stock opinions connected nan news impacting our nine and civilization and endorse candidates to thief guideline readers... The connection from our main executive, Will Lewis — not from nan Editorial Board itself — makes america concerned that guidance interfered pinch nan activity of our members successful Editorial

'According to our ain reporters and Guild members, an endorsement for Harris was already drafted, and nan determination to not to people was made by The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos.

'We are already seeing cancellations from erstwhile loyal readers. This determination undercuts nan activity of our members astatine a clip erstwhile we should beryllium building our readers’ trust, not losing it.'

Former Post executive editor Martin Baron said: '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). 

'History will people a disturbing section of spinelessness astatine an institution famed for courage.' 

The Post's elder governmental analogous Ashley Parker simply said, 'Welp, that's surely a caller type of October Surprise.'

The station began endorsing statesmanlike candidates successful 1976 aft it collapsed nan Watergate ungraded and publically backed Democrat Jimmy Carter - 'for understandable reasons astatine nan time,' nan insubstantial said.

However, it declined to make an endorsement successful 1988 betwixt George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis.

All of its endorsements since Carter person been Democrats. 

In his op-ed, CEO Lewis added: In his op-ed, CEO Lewis said: 'We admit that this will beryllium publication successful a scope of ways, including arsenic a tacit endorsement of 1 candidate, aliases arsenic a condemnation of another, aliases arsenic an abdication of responsibility.

'We don’t spot it that way. We spot it arsenic accordant pinch nan values The Post has ever stood for and what we dream for successful a leader: characteristic and courageousness successful work to nan American ethic, veneration for nan norm of law, and respect for quality state successful each its aspects.'

Democrats specified arsenic Vermont legislator Bernie Sanders person besides expressed outrage astatine nan Post's decision.

'This is what Oligarchy is about,' Sanders said successful X.

'Jeff Bezos, nan 2nd wealthiest personification successful nan world and nan proprietor of nan Washington Post, overrides his editorial committee and refuses to endorse Kamala. Clearly, he is acrophobic of antagonizing Trump and losing Amazon’s national contracts. Pathetic.'

Earlier this week, LA Times billionaire proprietor Dr  Patrick Soon-Shiong blocked a planned endorsement of Harris, starring to nan resignation of nan paper's editorials editor.

Mariel Garza told nan Columbia Journalism Review successful an question and reply that she resigned because nan Times was remaining silent connected nan title successful 'dangerous times'. 

'I americium resigning because I want to make it clear that I americium not OK pinch america being silent,' Garza said. 'In vulnerable times, honorable group request to guidelines up. This is really I’m opinionated up.'

In a station connected nan societal media level X that did not straight mention nan resignation, proprietor Soon-Shiong said nan committee was asked to do a actual study of nan policies of Harris and Republican erstwhile President Trump during their clip astatine nan White House.

Soon-Shiong, who bought nan insubstantial successful 2018, said nan committee 'chose to stay silent and I accepted their decision.'