The Washington Post published a couple of op-eds Tuesday from Trump officials trying to spin administration initiatives, reflecting the paper’s rightward shift under owner and multibillionaire Jeff Bezos.
In her op-ed, recently installed U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro argued in favor of the Trump administration’s decision to infiltrate the capital with federal law enforcement and the National Guard, despite falling crime rates.
Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post, attends President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
Pirro was confirmed earlier this month by Senate Republicans, despite her long history of promoting unfounded conspiracy theories on Fox News. President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy federal agencies to Washington has been undermined by clear evidence that agents are being used to respond to mundane street incidents, not the murderous crime wave Trump has touted.
In defense of Trump’s actions, Pirro complained on Tuesday that she had no interest in crime statistics that run counter to Trump’s proclamations.
“I'm tired of hearing the crime is down. It's not down for people who are suffering from violent crime,” she said.
The Post also published an op-ed by National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, who wrote in favor of cutting off potentially lifesaving research on mRNA vaccines.
The Trump administration has been criticized for opposing vaccination programs at the behest of current Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist.
In February, Bezos announced that the Post would be taking a rightward shift and that “we are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets.”
A few weeks later, Trump praised Bezos for moving the paper in his direction, saying that “Jeff Bezos is trying to do a real job with the Washington Post.”
The open announcement was a follow-up to the Post’s 2024 actions, when Bezos instructed the opinion section to scrap a planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election.
Related | Cartoonist who quit Washington Post in protest wins Pulitzer
The paper’s shift has led to a steady loss of talent for the once-prestigious outlet. Notable columnists like Perry Bacon, Eugene Robinson, and Jennifer Rubin have all left, citing the Post’s blossoming MAGA ties as the reason for their departures.
The twin op-eds are a strange publishing decision in a world where right-wing propaganda outlets like Fox News exist. Still, the Post seems poised to recreate Fox in print.
But it remains to be seen if that will be worth the paper shredding its reputation.
