Tell The Washington Post: Stop Censoring Anti-Trump Ads

The Washington Post introduced its slogan, "Democracy Dies in Darkness," in response to Trump’s election in 2016, presenting itself as a fearless defender of truth. But now, when the stakes for democracy are higher than ever, the Post is doing exactly what it once warned against—turning off the lights.

The newspaper just backed out of running an ad critical of Elon Musk, part of a campaign led by Common Cause and other democracy advocates. The ad asked a simple question: "Who's running this country: Donald Trump or Elon Musk?" It urged readers to call their senators and tell them it’s time for Donald Trump to fire Elon Musk. The Post initially approved the ad, but then, at the last minute, it pulled out—without explanation.

"Is it only ok to run things in The Post now that won’t anger the president or won’t have him calling Jeff Bezos asking why this was allowed?" asked Virginia Kase Solomón, president of Common Cause. That question gets to the heart of a growing problem.

One of the nation’s most important newspapers, with a storied history of holding the powerful accountable, is apparently now more concerned with staying in the good graces of a vengeful, anti-journalism president. Its owner, Jeff Bezos, attended Trump’s inauguration and donated to the event, raising serious concerns about whether the paper is softening its coverage to avoid angering Trump and his billionaire allies.

The Post has already come under fire for refusing to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, a move widely seen as capitulation to Trumpism. And when Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes tried to publish a cartoon depicting Bezos and other tech billionaires bribing Trump, the Post refused to run it—prompting her resignation.

The Washington Post is abandoning its responsibility to inform the public and hold the powerful accountable. The newspaper that once stood against Trump’s authoritarianism is now protecting the billionaires who are helping him consolidate power.

The Washington Post must immediately stop censoring anti-Trump ads, commit to editorial independence, and live up to the values it once claimed to hold. If democracy dies in darkness, then the Post is helping to turn out the lights.

Sign this petition to demand that The Washington Post stop suppressing ads critical of Trump and start standing up for democracy.