Bezos Reportedly Told Trump Buying Washington Post Was a Mistake: ‘The People There Are Terrible’
Jeff Bezos reportedly told president Donald Trump during a private dinner in December 2024 that managing the Washington Post was a “terrible” experiance and that investing in the newspaper was a poor decision. According to a book by journalists Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman titled “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,” Bezos expressed disappointment with the staff, describing them as “terrible” and unresponsive, unlike his other companies.
The book reveals that Trump asked Bezos about the newspaper’s perceived left-wing bias, and trump criticized the publication’s fairness. Bezos reportedly didn’t defend the paper but lamented the quality of the staff.He bought the Washington post in 2013 but reportedly lost over $100 million on it in 2024.In response to the financial losses and controversies, Bezos restructured the paper’s opinion section in February 2025 to emphasize personal liberties and free markets, leading to some backlash.
The book also notes that Trump’s perception of Bezos has shifted over time. Initially, Trump believed that Bezos was directly responsible for negative coverage by the Post, but later he acknowledged that he had come to believe this was true.
A representative of the Washington Post declined to comment on Bezos’s alleged remarks.
Jeff Bezos reportedly told President Donald Trump that the people running the Washington Post were “terrible” and that buying the newspaper turned out to be a bad investment.
The Amazon founder made the comments during a private dinner with Trump in December 2024, according to a book by New York Times writers Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman.
The comments were detailed in the book, “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump.”
The book comes out on June 23.
An excerpt obtained by the New York Post describes a candid conversation between the billionaire businessman and the billionaire president.
According to the book, Trump asked Bezos about The Washington Post’s institutional left-wing bias.
Jeff Bezos told Trump the Washington Post was his worst investment before slashing staff: ‘People there are terrible’ https://t.co/IuoYGIth6g pic.twitter.com/jDfCTWmHSc
— New York Post (@nypost) June 17, 2026
“This Washington Post is really unfair. You’ve got to take better care,” Trump reportedly told Bezos.
Bezos did not defend his newspaper. Instead, he reportedly complained about the people working there.
“The people there are terrible,” Bezos reportedly told Trump. “They don’t listen. My other companies, they listen.”
Bezos bought the newspaper in 2013.
According to the New York Post, he lost more than $100 million on the publication in 2024.
In February 2025, Bezos announced that The Washington Post’s opinion section would be restructured with a focus on personal liberties and free markets.
That decision sparked backlash from some employees and readers.
The move followed another controversy involving the newspaper’s decision not to endorse then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election.
That decision led to a wave of canceled subscriptions.
The book also describes how Trump’s view of Bezos has reportedly changed in recent years.
During his first term, Trump believed Bezos was directly responsible for negative stories published by The Washington Post.
“He said they write stories about him. And I didn’t believe him the first time, first term. And I hated him for it,” Trump allegedly recalled.
“And then I believed him,” Trump added.
A representative for The Washington Post declined to comment on Bezos’ reported comments about its staff.
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