Jeff Bezos expressed optimism about a potential second term for President Donald Trump, emphasizing his willingness to engage in discussions about the media and regulation during The New York Times’ DealBook Summit on December 4, 2024. Bezos plans to persuade Trump against viewing the press as an adversary, stating, “I don’t think the press is the enemy.” He mentioned this despite a history of conflict with Trump, particularly during the former president’s initial administration.
Bezos expresses optimism for Trump’s potential second term
Bezos articulated hope for a more constructive relationship between Trump and the media in a second administration, saying he would “try to talk [Trump] out of” his adversarial stance. The Amazon founder acknowledged the prior animosity between the two, highlighting Trump’s critiques of Bezos, Amazon, and The Washington Post, calling it “The Fake News Washington Post” during his first term. In contrast, Bezos noted a more positive outlook with Trump’s recent approach, stating, “I am very optimistic this time around.”
During the summit, Bezos also reiterated a commitment to help reduce regulations under the Trump administration, asserting, “If I can help him do that, I am going to help him.” He expressed that he views Trump as potentially receptive to this goal, mentioning the president’s “energy around reducing regulation.” This perspective contrasts sharply with the tensions from Trump’s first term, where Bezos often faced public criticism.
Bezos defended his controversial decision to block The Washington Post’s endorsement of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris shortly before the recent election, a move that led to significant backlash—including resignations from nearly one-third of the newspaper’s editorial board. He clarified, “I’m proud of the decision we made, and it was far from cowardly,” despite facing criticism from staff and a mass cancellation of subscriptions.
After noting the critical reactions, Bezos acknowledged, “We knew that this was going to be perceived in a very big way, these things punch above their weight.” He emphasized the need for “a credible, trusted, independent voice” in journalism, indicating that the perceived bias from endorsements weighed heavily on the decision. “We’re struggling with the issue that all traditional media is struggling with, which is a very difficult and significant loss of trust,” he stated.
Bezos further addressed the impact of media perceptions and potential retribution on his business ventures. He dismissed suggestions that concerns for Amazon and Blue Origin influenced the non-endorsement decision by claiming, “that was certainly not in my mind.” He highlighted the newspaper’s robust coverage of all presidential administrations, emphasizing the intention to maintain an independent editorial voice.
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The Washington Post has faced ongoing challenges with dwindling audience traffic and subscriptions since Bezos purchased the publication in 2013 for $250 million. In response, he hinted at potential strategies for revitalizing the paper, stating, “I have a bunch of ideas, and I’m working on that right now. And I have a couple of small inventions there.”
Bezos is not the only tech leader engaging with Trump. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also sought an “active” role in policy discussions with the incoming administration, reflecting a broader trend among major technology executives. At the summit, Bezos remarked that he remains unconcerned about any competitive implications of Trump’s relationships with other tech billionaires, including Elon Musk, asserting he takes Musk’s promises at “face value.”
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai noted a focus on American competitiveness in technology, including AI, during his separate interactions with Trump. It remains to be seen how these relationships will shape tech policy and the media environment.
Featured image credit: Amazon
