Jeff Bezos expressed optimism about the second Trump administration, suggesting he wants to help the incoming president reduce regulation. The Amazon founder and Washington Post owner said he hopes a second term will see a more favorable approach towards the press.
During an interview at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Bezos defended his decision to veto The Post’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, saying it was not cowardly but rather a strategic move. He cited the need for “a credible, trusted, independent voice” in journalism and believes the benefits of presidential endorsements are too small to outweigh concerns about bias.
Bezos dismissed speculation about potential retribution against his companies, including Amazon and Blue Origin, saying the endorsement decision had no bearing on his business dealings. The Post has struggled with declining audience traffic and subscriptions, but Bezos claims to have a plan to turn around its fortunes.
Tech executives are seeking engagement with Trump, including around tech policy. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is also exploring an “active” role in policy discussions with the new administration. Bezos expressed confidence that his relationship with Elon Musk, who competes with him in space exploration and AI efforts, will not be affected by Trump’s presidency.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/04/media/jeff-bezos-donald-trump-media-enemy/index.html