The Washington Post Won’t Endorse In Presidential Race

The Washington Post will not endorse a candidate in the presidential race this cycle, breaking with a longtime tradition.

Publisher Will Lewis, in a memo to staffers, wrote that they “are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.”

The Post’s decision follows the revelation that the Los Angeles Times also decided not to endorse this cycle. That led to a backlash among readers and the resignation of the publication’s editor of editorials. Mariel Garza, along with other staffers.

“We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility,” Lewis wrote. “That is inevitable. We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects.”

But the Post’s non-endorsement, like that at the Los Angeles Times, quickly raised suspicion that the billionaire owners of both publications were being careful should Donald Trump be elected and return to the White House. Trump has vowed retribution on political opponents, and has suggested retaliatory action against media outlets that have published stories he disagrees with.

More to come.