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yesterday

Bezos Told President Trump the Washington Post Was His "Worst Investment," Book Excerpt Shows

An excerpt from a forthcoming book records private December 2024 remarks that deepen questions about owner influence after an opinion shift and large newsroom cuts.

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An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Protesters hold a cutout of Jeff Bezos' face with "Greedy" written on his forehead outside The Washington Post building, Image 2 shows Donald Trump smiling with the G7 France logo in the background, Image 3 shows Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and Blue Origin, smiling and gesturing with his right hand at Viva Technology

Overview

  • Thursday's reporting of excerpts from Regime Change says Jeff Bezos told President Trump in December 2024 that the Washington Post was his "worst investment" and that "the people there are terrible."
  • The dinner came after the Post withheld a 2024 presidential endorsement, a decision that triggered subscriber cancellations and internal backlash.
  • In February 2025 Bezos directed the paper's opinion pages to stress "personal liberties and free markets," a move that preceded an opinion editor's resignation.
  • The paper cut roughly one-third of its staff in February 2026, eliminating sports, books coverage and several foreign bureaus and prompting leadership turnover to interim publisher Jeff D'Onofrio.
  • Reporting notes the Post lost more than $100 million in 2024 and that the new excerpt does not prove causation, but it adds fresh detail to concerns about how ownership, finances and private political ties shape newsroom choices.