The Washington Post will not endorse any presidential candidate in the 2024 election or any subsequent election, publisher William Lewis announced Friday.
The move breaks a 36-year tradition of supporting mostly Democratic presidential candidates. Lewis said the decision will restore the Post as an "independent" newspaper and allow readers to make up their own minds about the election.
"We are returning to our roots of disapproval of presidential candidates," Lewis says in an op-ed titled "On Political Approval."
"We recognize that this will be read in a number of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. This 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 of the American ethic, respect for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects. We also see it as a statement in support of our readers' ability to make up their own minds about this, America's most important decision - who to vote for as the next president," the article reads.
The announcement comes just ten days before the US presidential election, which will be held on November 5.