Amazon founder Jeff Bezos faced major backlash after it was found that his aerospace company’s executives met former US President Donald Trump just hours before The Washington Post announced that it wouldn’t be endorsing any candidates in the upcoming US Presidential elections.
According to The New York Times, senior news and opinion leaders at the Washington Post flew to Miami in late September 2024 to meet with Bezos. During the meeting, the billionaire expressed reservations about the newspaper issuing an endorsement in the November 5 polls.
On Friday, the American news outlet made the announcement, sparking major outrage from journalists and politicians. Shortly after the news stirred major headlines it was reported that the Post’s editorial board had already drafted its endorsement of Kamala Harris. One of the major things which slipped many people’s minds was the fact that shortly before the announcement, high-ranking officials of Blue Origin met with Trump after a campaign speech in Austin, Texas.
The closeness between Amazon and Trump sparks suspicious
It is pertinent to note that both Amazon and Blue Origin are among Bezos-owned businesses that still compete for lucrative federal government contracts. According to the Associated Press, Trump met with Blue Origin chief executive officer David Limp and vice-president of government relations Megan Mitchell after his rally in Texas. Not only this, it was reported that Amazon CEO, Andy Jassy, had also recently reached out to speak with the former president by phone.
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