Who Is Robert Kagan? Washington Post Editor Resigns Over Trump-Harris Endorsement Tussle

Washington Post editor at large Robert Kagan resigned Friday following a decision by the paper not to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential race. Kagan, who was well-known for his vehement opposition to former President Donald Trump, caused a stir in the media when The Washington Post declared it was going back to its decades-old posture of not endorsing him.

Anti-Trump Stance and Legacy at the PostKagan was one of the paper's most outspoken critics of Trump and the author of Rebellion: How Anti-liberalism is Tearing America Apart — Again. He spoke about the dangers of authoritarianism in the event that Trump were reelected in a 2023 piece titled The Trump Dictatorship: How to Stop It. Additionally, Kagan has openly opposed Trump's position on Ukraine, arguing that the previous president's activities might jeopardize American democracy. Following publisher and CEO William Lewis' official announcement that The Post would no longer support presidential candidates, citing precedent, Kagan resigned. “The Washington Post will not be making an endorsement of a presidential candidate in this election. Nor in any future presidential election. We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates,” Lewis stated in an online announcement. Historical Tradition of Non-EndorsementThe decision marks a return to an editorial position The Post maintained until the late 20th century. Lewis referenced a statement from the paper’s editorial board in 1960, which emphasized neutrality in presidential races. “The Washington Post has not ‘endorsed’ either candidate in the presidential campaign. That is in our tradition and accords with our action in five of the last six elections,” Lewis wrote, underlining the historical basis for the new policy. Internal Reactions and Guild ConcernsThe Washington Post Guild voiced disapproval of the decision, revealing a drafted endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris was shelved. “According to our own reporters and Guild members, an endorsement for Harris was already drafted, and the decision not to publish was made by The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos,” the Guild reported. It further stated that longtime readers had begun canceling subscriptions over the decision.However, a source close to Washington Post leadership told Fox News Digital that Bezos had no role in the non-endorsement decision. The Post spokesperson declined to comment on Bezos’ involvement, instead reiterating that it was a “Washington Post decision.” A Senior Fellow’s Political ShiftIn recent years, Kagan, who is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, has clearly changed his political stance. In 2016, the former Republican publicly backed Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, after growing disenchanted with the GOP under Trump. The Brookings Institution, where Kagan remains a senior fellow, described itself as “a leading source of expert analysis and commentary on a wide range of public policy issues at the local, national, and global levels.” Uncertain Future for The Washington PostThe Washington Post declined to comment on Kagan’s resignation, and Kagan himself limited his statement, remarking only, “This just happened.”