On Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized the Washington Post’s decision to cut over 300 jobs, arguing that financial struggles were not the real issue given that the paper is owned by Jeff Bezos, who has a net worth of at least $235 billion. Sanders pointed out Bezos’ extravagant spending, such as his $75 million documentary about Melania Trump, framing it as a blatant “bribe.” He echoed the sentiment that “Democracy dies in oligarchy,” highlighting the layoffs affecting diverse sections of the Post, including extensive cutbacks in international news and the complete shutdown of its sports and book review pages.
Veteran reporters, like Ukraine correspondent Lizzie Johnson and longtime local reporter Martin Weil, were among those laid off. Sanders has historically criticized Bezos for potentially biasing the paper against working-class issues, and previous Post leaders, including former executive editor Martin Baron, have defended the newsroom’s independence. However, Baron has recently described the layoffs as one of the darkest days in the Post’s history, laying blame for the challenges faced by the news organization on “ill-conceived decisions” from Bezos, including efforts to win favor with former President Trump.
