“Cowardice”: ‘The Washington Post’ Blasted for Not Endorsing in 2024

GOP Profiles in Courage • Young Men of MAGA • Fear Inside the KHive [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair Hive logo image]( “Cowardice”: The Washington Post Blasted for Not Endorsing in 2024 Good morning. The Washington Post has endorsed a candidate in every presidential election for decades. But this year, in an cycle that may decide the very fate of democracy, the paper’s publisher has elected to sit this one out, [reports]( Natalie Korach. The move, which roiled the rank-and-file and led to a rash of resignations yesterday, came just a day after the Los Angeles Times’s owner reportedly blocked an editor’s attempt to have the outlet back Kamala Harris. “These decisions are appalling,” Margaret Sullivan, a former New York Times public editor, tells Korach. “A disturbing statement of the priorities of two newspapers that are owned by billionaires.” It’s no big leap to assume these billionaires are staying silent for fear of political reprisal. Just look at all of the threats and harassment that have for years bedeviled people like Sarah Mathews, a former Trump spokesperson who courageously testified against the former president before the January 6 committee. “I’m sure that there’s a list,” she [admitted]( on Inside the Hive, “and I might be on it.” Matthews is now vigorously campaigning for Harris, who is still in a dead heat with Trump. But, as Chris Smith [reported]( earlier this week, Democrats worry that Harris’s media plays might be too little too late. Plus: It doesn’t help that Trump commands more support from Gen Z males than you might think, as Mark McKinnon [observed]( in a dispatch from Charlie Kirk’s event at the University of Georgia. “It’s going to be hard for Trump to win on these campuses,” the activist said. “But I can say, confidently, we’re going to lose by less.” Thanks for reading, and see you next week. —Jon Skolnik, associate editor [Image may contain: Architecture, Building, Spire, Tower, Monastery, Bell Tower, Cathedral, Church, and Person]( [“Cowardice”: The Washington Post Blasted for Not Endorsing in 2024]( By [Natalie Korach]( [The controversial move at the Jeff Bezos–owned paper follows the Los Angeles Times, owned by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, also bucking tradition. “These decisions,” Margaret Sullivan tells VF, “are appalling.”]( [Read more button](   [Men in Red: Why More and More Young Male Voters Are Being MAGA-fied]( By [Mark McKinnon]( [Kamala Harris commands the Gen Z race. But firebrand Charlie Kirk sees major Trump gains in the home stretch.]( [Read more button](   [“We’re Distracted”: Kamala Harris Allies Fear She’s Letting Trump Dominate the Final Stretch]( By [Chris Smith]( [Supporters say the VP isn’t hammering Trump hard enough—and her media plays may be too little too late.]( [Read more button](   [Los Angeles Times Owner’s Attempt at 2024 Neutrality Backfires]( By [Natalie Korach]( [Patrick Soon-Shiong’s decision to not endorse has led to a high-profile resignation, staff and subscriber frustration, and criticism from a California rival. “Silence is complicity,” responded Los Angeles Magazine.]( [Read more button](   [Image may contain: Tie, Accessories, Accessory, Electrical Device, Microphone, Human, Person, Suit, Coat, and Clothing]( [Trump Alum Turned Harris Advocate Says She Knows There Is Now a “Target” on Her Back]( By [Brian Stelter]( [Sarah Matthews, a former Trump press secretary, recalls the “cognitive dissonance” of defending his rhetoric and says that testifying before the January 6 committee could come at immense personal cost: “I’m sure that there’s a list and I might be on it.”]( [Read more button](   Get on the list Subscribe to our Hollywood newsletter for your essential industry and awards-season news, every day. [Sign Up Now](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn](   This e-mail was sent to you by The Hive. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Sent from Condé Nast, 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007 Copyright © 2024 Condé Nast