Jeff Bezos’ The Washington Post has been again accused of selling out its tradition of fearless independence after it reportedly refused an advertisement calling for lawmakers to fire Elon Musk.
Common Cause, a democracy watchdog and advocacy group, told The Hill it had inked the deal with the Post last week for an ad due to run Tuesday as a so-called wrap covering the front and back pages of the newspaper.
Editions with the wrap, which showed a laughing Elon Musk superimposed over the White House and urged lawmakers to “Fire Elon Musk,” were due to be delivered to subscribers in Congress, the Pentagon, and the White House.
Funding for the ad was also provided by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Another full-page ad inside the paper would have hammered the message home.
Display text for the ad ran: “Who’s running this country: Donald Trump or Elon Musk?”
Common Cause said it has collected 60,000 signatures on a petition protesting Musk’s unelected role in government.
Common Cause president Virginia Kase Solomón said the group submitted the ad’s artwork on Tuesday but were told on Friday that it had been rejected.
The allegation will be seized on by critics as yet more evidence that the once fearlessly independent newspaper is now being used by its billionaire proprietor as a tool for channeling influence, with Bezos appearing keen to curry favor with Trump in recent weeks.
The Post canceled a planned endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race and recently killed a cartoon showing a caricatures of Bezos laying bags of money at the feet of Trump after the Amazon founder reportedly donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. Bezos’ streamer, Amazon Prime, has reportedly shelled out $40 million for the licensing rights to a documentary about first lady Melania Trump directed by Brett Ratner.
Solomon said: “Is it only OK to run things in the Post now that won’t anger the president or won’t have him calling Jeff Bezos asking why this was allowed?”
A spokesperson for the Post declined to comment to The Hill. The news outlet noted that the company’s general guidelines required advertisers to obtain “requisite permissions” when using individual’s names.
Another Common Cause executive told The Hill: “It just causes concern for us. Are they fearful of [Trump’s] reaction?”
