Jeff Bezos Discusses Trump and Changes at The Washington Post

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, shared his views on President Trump in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” Bezos described Trump as “more mature, more disciplined” during his second term. He also defended his decision to cut The Post’s newsroom.

Bezos acknowledged Trump’s strengths, stating, “Trump has lots of good ideas, and he’s been right about a lot of things.” He stressed the importance of recognizing the president’s accomplishments.

There has been criticism of Bezos for actions perceived as attempts to gain favor with the Trump administration. This criticism follows past clashes with Trump during his first term. Bezos attended Trump’s inauguration, and Amazon spent $40 million on a documentary about Melania Trump, promoting it with a $35 million campaign.

At The Post, changes under Bezos’s ownership have raised eyebrows. He ended the paper’s presidential endorsements just before the 2024 election, even after an endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris had been drafted by the editorial board. Furthermore, he redirected the opinion section to advocate “personal liberties and free markets,” excluding dissenting views. These decisions have led to increased subscription cancellations.

Bezos maintains that he collaborates with presidents from all political affiliations and plans to continue this practice because he supports America’s interests. When asked by Andrew Ross Sorkin, a financial columnist for The New York Times, about the documentary deal involving Mrs. Trump, Bezos denied involvement, stating, “The idea that somehow that is a way of buying influence is just not correct.”