Influential Columnist Exits WaPo

Eugene Robinson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, announced his departure from The Washington Post on April 3, 2025, after 45 years with the newspaper, citing a “significant shift” in the paper’s mission under its billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos. 

Robinson’s exit is the latest in a series of high-profile resignations triggered by Bezos’ recent changes to the Post’s opinion section, which he outlined in February 2025. Bezos declared that the section would focus exclusively on defending “personal liberties and free markets,” excluding viewpoints that oppose these principles—a move that has stirred controversy and prompted a broader exodus of veteran staffers.

Robinson, who joined The Washington Post in 1980 and began writing for the opinion pages in 2005, expressed his decision in an email to colleagues, stating, “The announced ‘significant shift’ in our section’s mission has spurred me to decide that it’s time for my next chapter.” He wished the paper well, adding, “I won’t be a stranger, and I’ll be reading your unparalleled work every single day.” 

His departure follows a career that included roles as a city hall reporter, foreign correspondent, and assistant managing editor, culminating in a 2009 Pulitzer Prize for his commentary on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Beyond the Post, Robinson has been a prominent political analyst on NBC News and MSNBC, often critiquing President Donald Trump, whom he once called a “weak, narcissistic man” and accused of trampling the Constitution.

The changes have also impacted the Post’s readership, with over 75,000 digital subscribers canceling in the 48 hours following Bezos’ initial announcement, though the paper later reported gaining 400,000 new subscribers. Robinson had hinted at his unease earlier, telling MSNBC’s Morning Joe in February that the shift was a “fork-in-the-road moment” for many staffers, as it deviated from the independent journalism they signed up for.