The Washington Post has abruptly axed its long-time politics editor on the heels of Donald Trump’s reelection.
Veteran journalist Dan Eggen said he was ‘crushed’ to be informed of his ‘removal’ from the role, according to an email he sent and obtained by Hollywood Reporter.
Eggen had worked for the famed publication since 1977 and was tapped to be the publication’s Senior Politics Editor in 2022 after serving as the White House editor, campaign editor and Washington editor in the years prior to his prestigious appointment.
‘I struggled with how to write this message since there is an element of begging to it that is not particularly attractive,’ the email read.
‘But what the hey: I was informed Monday that I will be removed as senior politics editor at the end of the year. I will leave it to others to explain why,’ the email continued.
It was not clear whether or not Eggen will remain with the publication. The Washington Post is yet to address reports of his departure from the position.
The shocking dismissal comes amid a period of internal turmoil at the reputable newspaper, which, despite its reputation on hard-hitting reporting, has faced mounting criticism for its coverage of Trump’s campaign and presidency.
Employees at the traditionally left-leaning publication, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, were devastated by the owner’s decision not to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, just weeks ahead the election.
The shocking decision led to several veteran staffers resignations, including two columnists and several writers from the editorial board who stepped down in protest.
The paper also noted a loss of about 10 percent of its total subscriber base – amounting to over 250,000 readers.
In the weeks following Trump’s overwhelming election win, the publication’s political leanings seem to be in for a major overhaul as Bezos defended the move in an op-ed last month.
The billionaire’s October opinion piece claimed that endorsements can create a ‘perception of bias’ and that he felt the paper was ‘failing’ in its mission to be a trusted news source.
The 60-year-old businessman reportedly also said that he wants to hire more conservative opinion writers.
The Washington Post – which notably gained its fame for its coverage of the 1970s Watergate scandal – has previously faced allegations of writing with a liberal bias.
Earlier this year, the Trump campaign alleged to the Federal Election Commission that the highly regarded publication made illegal contributions to Harris’ campaign after it was reported that the company was paying to uplift stories critical of the president-elect.
The prized newspaper has also recently announced a cutthroat ‘return-to-office’ mandate, as the company plans to scrap the hybrid work schedule telling employees it will accept the resignation of any staffer who refuses to return to the office five days per week.
It is unclear as to why this policy has been reinstated, yet the company expects all managers to be back in the office full-time beginning February 3, the New York Post reported.