(DailyVantage.com) – Former Biden White House Adviser Susan Rice lashed out on social media after The Washington Post announced it would not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming election, which Rice labeled a highly embarrassing setback for Harris’s campaign. Rice, who has previously been labeled by some critics as an influential figure in the Biden administration, criticized The Post in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) Friday afternoon, calling the decision “disgusting.”
“As a D.C. native and lifelong subscriber to the Post, I’m disgusted. You have lost us,” Rice wrote, marking her initial reaction to the surprising announcement. Within minutes, Rice doubled down, taking a jab at the paper’s motto, “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” and called it a “hypocritical, chicken s— move from a publication that is supposed to hold people in power to account.” Her frustration grew as she referenced information from CNN’s Brian Stelter, who cited sources saying that The Post’s owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos, made the ultimate call not to endorse Harris or any candidate in the race.
Rice’s frustration was compounded by speculation surrounding Bezos’s multiple business ties with the government, hinting at conflicts of interest that she implied could have influenced the decision. The New York Times noted that Bezos, the world’s second-richest person, has substantial government contracts that may factor into the business mogul’s choice to withhold endorsement in a critical election year. Rice, in response to Stelter’s post, suggested a bold move by the editorial department: “The whole Post editorial department should walk out.”
Rice’s reaction was not isolated. Robert Kagan, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, resigned from his position as a contributing columnist at the paper, reportedly in protest of the editorial board’s refusal to endorse a candidate. This decision is the first time since 1988 that The Post has chosen not to take a stand in a presidential race, a fact highlighted by Breitbart News.
Days before, Harris faced a similar situation when her hometown paper, the Los Angeles Times, also declined to back her candidacy, adding to a string of challenging endorsements for her campaign. To compound the decision, The Washington Post stated that this choice marks a shift in their approach for future elections, with CEO William Lewis stating that The Post would “return to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.”
This stance has ignited discussion over how influential media endorsements are in today’s polarized climate, particularly when highly visible and traditionally supportive publications choose to remain neutral.
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