Jeff Bezos just taught American businessmen a 'lesson': Bulwark editor

Billionaire CEO Jeff Bezos’ decision to scrap the Washington Post's 36-year tradition of endorsing a presidential candidate is a lesson for business leaders around the world seeing him “getting in line” with the former president, a columnist wrote Friday.

The editorial referred to it as “signaling his submission” to Donald Trump,

While critics immediately pounced on the non-endorsement by the Washington Post, which is owned by Bezos and reported that he made the decision, The Bulwark's Jonathan Last wrote that the development is more a story about business than it is about journalism.

“It’s a situation analogous to what we saw in Russia in the early 2000s: We are witnessing the surrender of the American business community to Donald Trump,” Last wrote.

He noted that following Trump’s 2016 victory, Bezos found himself on the receiving end of Trump’s threats due to the paper’s aggressive reporting of the former president’s administration.

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“And that’s what this story is about: It’s about the most consequential American entrepreneur of his generation signaling his submission to Trump — and the message that sends to every other corporation and business leader in the country. In the world,” according to the editorial.

Last argued that the situation is reminiscent of Vladimir Putin’s rise in Russia after jailing the country's wealthiest man – Mikhail Khodorkovsky – who “had the kind of wealth and power that made him untouchable” and floated the idea of one day running for office.

“And so the oligarchs fell in line and ceased to be a source of concern to Putin. Instead of alternative power centers, they became vassals. Which is exactly what Jeff Bezos has just taught Jamie Dimon and every other important American businessman,” the editorial said.

It added: “Just the fact that he has an even-money chance to become president was threat enough” for Bezos “to secure his compliance” to Trump.

Last concluded by warning readers that the guardrails are already collapsing “before a single state has been called.”