By Phil Baker – NYA
A soon to be released book about President Donald Trump’s return to power describes growing dissatisfaction by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos with his ownership of The Washington Post. It’s based on comments he reportedly made during a private dinner with Trump in late 2024.
According to excerpts from Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, by New York Times reporters Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman, Jeff Bezos called the Washington Post his worst investment. “The people there are terrible,” Bezos told Trump. “They don’t listen. My other companies, they listen,” Bezos said.
The conversation took place during a period of significant change at the Washington Post. In early 2025, Bezos announced that the newspaper’s opinion section would focus on themes emphasizing personal liberty and free-market economics.
The move followed controversy surrounding the paper’s decision not to endorse Kamela Harris in the 2024 election, a decision that prompted many readers to cancel subscriptions.
Several months later, the newspaper underwent a major restructuring that reduced staffing levels by roughly one-third. The cuts included the elimination of the sports department and staff photography positions as the organization sought to reduce costs and reshape its operations.
The book portrays Bezos’ comments as part of a broader effort by prominent technology executives to improve relations with the incoming administration. Trump told the authors that he initially blamed Bezos for negative coverage during his first term, believing the billionaire exerted direct influence over the newspaper’s editorial decisions.
Regime Change is scheduled for release on June 23.