If you spent any time on social media during the final weeks of the 2024 election, you probably saw the firestorm. People were furious. Subscriptions to The Washington Post were being canceled by the hundreds of thousands—over 200,000, to be exact. The reason? A sudden decision to stop endorsing presidential candidates.
Everyone wanted to know the same thing: Did Jeff Bezos support Trump?
Honestly, the answer isn’t a simple yes or no. It’s a messy mix of corporate pragmatism, a billionaire’s attempt to stay "neutral," and what many critics called a "pre-emptive surrender" to a potential second Trump term.
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The Endorsement That Never Was
For decades, The Washington Post has been a staple of American political journalism. Their slogan, "Democracy Dies in Darkness," was literally adopted during the first Trump administration. So, when the paper’s editorial board drafted an endorsement for Kamala Harris, nobody was surprised. It was expected.
Then, the floor dropped out.
Jeff Bezos, who has owned the Post since 2013, stepped in and spiked the endorsement. He didn't just stop the Harris nod; he announced the paper would no longer endorse any presidential candidates, ever again.
Why did he do it?
Bezos wrote an op-ed defending himself. He basically said that presidential endorsements don't actually change voters' minds. Instead, he argued, they just create a "perception of bias" in an era where trust in the media is at an all-time low.
"Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election," Bezos wrote. "What they actually do is create a perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one."
But the timing was... suspicious. The announcement came just days before the election. Even worse? On the same day the endorsement was killed, executives from Blue Origin—Bezos’s space company—met with Donald Trump in Texas.
Bezos later said he didn't know about the meeting beforehand and "sighed" when he heard about it because he knew how bad it looked. But for many, it felt like a "quid pro quo" or at least a way to stay in Trump's good graces.
The Financial "Support" Factor
If you look at the hard numbers, did Jeff Bezos support Trump with his wallet?
During the actual 2024 campaign, Bezos didn't make massive personal donations to Trump. In fact, Federal Election Commission records showed that employees at Amazon and Blue Origin actually leaned heavily toward Kamala Harris. About 73% of Amazon-affiliated donations went to Democrats.
However, once the election was over, the tone shifted fast.
The $1 Million Inauguration Gift
After Trump won, the "feud" seemed to evaporate. Amazon donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. On top of that, they gave an "in-kind" donation of another $1 million by offering to stream the inauguration ceremony on Amazon Prime Video.
This isn't exactly a political "endorsement," but in the world of high-stakes business, it’s a standard move to ensure you have a seat at the table.
A History of "Frenemies"
To understand if Bezos supports Trump now, you have to remember how much they used to hate each other.
Trump spent years attacking Bezos. He called the Post the "Amazon Washington Post" and claimed Bezos was using the paper to lobby for Amazon’s tax interests. He even pushed the U.S. Postal Service to hike shipping rates specifically to hurt Amazon.
Bezos didn't take it lying down. Back in 2015, he famously joked about sending Trump into space on a Blue Origin rocket.
| Period | Relationship Status | Key Events |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-2020 | Bitter Rivals | Trump attacks Amazon taxes; Bezos jokes about space. |
| 2021-2023 | Cold Peace | Bezos steps down as Amazon CEO; focus shifts to Blue Origin. |
| late 2024 | Strategic Pivot | Bezos kills Harris endorsement; Blue Origin execs meet Trump. |
| 2025-2026 | "Optimistic" Era | Amazon settles tariff disputes; Bezos praises Trump's energy. |
The "New" Jeff Bezos
By late 2024 and early 2025, the vibe changed. Bezos started calling Trump's victory an "extraordinary political comeback." At the New York Times DealBook Summit, he said he was "very optimistic" about the second term.
He even liked Trump’s plan to cut regulations. "He seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation," Bezos said. "If I can help do that, I'm going to help him."
This is where the support becomes clear. It’s not necessarily about ideology or "liking" the guy. It’s about business.
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Amazon and Blue Origin hold billions of dollars in federal contracts. Blue Origin is constantly competing with Elon Musk’s SpaceX for NASA and Department of Defense deals. If Trump is the one signing the checks, Bezos knows he can't afford to be the enemy.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often think billionaires support candidates because they love their policies. Sometimes, sure. But for someone like Bezos, it's often more about risk management.
Supporting Trump—or at least refusing to oppose him—was a way to protect his "web of interests."
When Trump got angry about a report that Amazon might show "tariff costs" at checkout in 2025, he called Bezos directly. Trump later told reporters it was a "good call" and that "Jeff Bezos was very nice." That’s a far cry from the days when Trump was trying to dismantle Amazon’s shipping deals.
Practical Insights: What This Means for You
So, did he support him? He supported the outcome and the environment that a Trump presidency created for big business.
If you're trying to figure out how to navigate this info, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the Contracts, Not the Tweets: If you want to see if a billionaire supports an administration, look at the government contracts their companies are winning.
- Media Independence is Fragile: The Washington Post situation proved that even the wealthiest owners can be pressured (or choose to pressure themselves) when their other business interests are at stake.
- Follow the Inauguration Money: Donations to an inaugural committee are often a better signal of "making peace" than campaign donations.
If you’re curious about how other tech giants handled the 2024 cycle, you should look into how Mark Zuckerberg or Sam Altman managed their public stances compared to the very loud support from Elon Musk. It's a fascinating study in corporate survival.
Next Step: You should check the current status of Blue Origin's NASA contracts for the Artemis mission; it’s a direct indicator of how the relationship between Bezos and the current administration is playing out in dollars and cents.