Several readers have taken to social media to announce they are canceling their Washington Post subscriptions over the paper’s lack of endorsement.
Moments after The announced on Friday that it would not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump in the presidential race, many Democrats took to social media to criticize the newspaper, which had previously condemned Trump in past presidential campaigns.
Users on X, formerly known as Twitter, called out the decision, with some saying they canceled their subscriptions to the outlet, including actor Jeffrey Wright. In August, the D.C.-native narrated a video for Harris that played at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Wright posted a screenshot of his canceled subscription, writing, » . Hometown paper. Grew up with it. Bye, b*****. »
Democratic strategist and pollster Matt McDermott also shared his subscription cancellation, saying, « easiest decision ever, @washingtonpost. »
In a statement posted on X, the Guild noted that within two hours, « We are already seeing cancellations from once loyal readers » over the non-endorsement.
Some pointed to the paper’s slogan, « Democracy Dies in Darkness », sharing screenshots of its January 7, 2021, headline, « Trump mob storms Capitol », with the subheadline, « President incites crowd to acts of insurrection, violence. » One user, Reeves, shared the screenshot with the caption, « Four years later, the paper, famous for its tagline ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness’, doesn’t want to take a stand on who is fit to be president. »
Skyler Johnson, chair of Suffolk Young Democrats, wrote in a post, « At least now we know ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness’ isn’t a motto, it’s their promise.
