WaPo Declines To Print Anti-Trump-Musk Ads

The Washington Post recently canceled a planned print advertisement from Common Cause and the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, advocacy groups that demanded the removal of Elon Musk from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

The ad, part of a $115,000 campaign featuring two advertisements scheduled for Tuesday, was a wrap-around design depicting the White House overlaid with an image of Musk against a striking red background. The caption posed the question, “Who’s running this country: Donald Trump or Elon Musk?” It further claimed that Musk has “created chaos and confusion” and is “accountable to no one but himself,” emphasizing that “The Constitution only allows for one president at a time.”

CNN  reports the advertisements were tied to a petition by Common Cause and SPLC aimed at generating widespread public support to urge U.S. lawmakers to intervene. As of now, the petition has garnered 95,556 signatures. The campaign coincides with President Trump granting Musk significant authority within DOGE to overhaul the federal workforce and reduce the federal budget. Although Trump maintains that Musk operates under his direction, Musk’s broad autonomy has fueled speculation that he wields substantial influence, potentially overshadowing the presidency. Recent lawsuits have posed some challenges to Musk and his team, but his extensive control remains largely unchecked.

Common Cause submitted the ad artwork to The Washington Post on February 11 and was informed three days later, on February 14, that the newspaper would not run the wrap ad. 

According to a Common Cause spokesperson speaking to CNN, the groups had a signed contract with the Post and were awaiting final approval before transferring payment. When they inquired about possible modifications to make the ad acceptable, the Post declined to provide specific feedback, simply stating it could not be published. 

However, the newspaper was willing to run a second, interior ad from the same campaign, which featured a full-page image of Musk with the caption, “No one elected Elon Musk to any office.” Despite this, Common Cause rejected the partial offer and withdrew both ads.

The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, does not discuss internal decisions regarding specific advertising campaigns and declined to comment on whether Bezos influenced the decision. The newspaper’s advertising policy allows it to “position, revise, or refuse to publish any advertisement” if it does not meet its guidelines or for any other reason it deems appropriate.