More Washington Post Staffers Resign Over Decision Not To Endorse Kamala Harris

Two more members of The Washington Post’s editorial board are set to resign following the newspaper’s decision to withhold an endorsement for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race. Molly Roberts, who has been with the Post for eight years, announced her departure on Monday. Another board member, David Hoffman, is also expected to leave over the editorial stance, which marks the first time since 1988 that the Post has opted out of endorsing a candidate.

Publisher Will Lewis has described the move as a return to the paper’s “roots of not endorsing presidential candidates,” a practice that the Post did not adopt until 1976. However, sources report that the editorial board initially prepared an endorsement for Harris, which was ultimately spiked by owner Jeff Bezos, sparking a wave of frustration within the paper.

The decision follows resignations from notable figures on the editorial board. Michele Norris, who left on Sunday, called the choice “a terrible mistake and an insult” to the Post’s journalistic principles. Editor-at-large Robert Kagan resigned on Friday in protest. Kagan, a respected foreign policy analyst, is married to former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, who has been influential in U.S. foreign policy regarding Ukraine.

The Washington Post’s stance on the endorsement is reflective of a broader trend. The Los Angeles Times has also announced it will not endorse a presidential candidate this year, prompting a similar departure of pro-Harris journalists.

For those leaving the Post, the lack of endorsement has raised questions about the paper’s commitment to core principles, with several staffers calling for a consistent approach in future elections. As tensions rise over the endorsement decision, the walkout underscores an increasingly polarized media landscape heading into Election Day.