David Remnick: Jeff Bezos Out of Fear Is Kissing Trump’s Hand

SCARBOROUGH We originally wanted ░░░░░░░░ have him for the ░░░░░░░░ anniversary of his extraordinary ░░░░░░░░ but there s so ░░░░░░░░ to talk about David ░░░░░░░░ let s start with ░░░░░░░░ we already had Marty ░░░░░░░░ on about talking about ░░░░░░░░ Bezos s strange directive ░░░░░░░░ that I haven t ░░░░░░░░ heard in my life ░░░░░░░░ a major owner of ░░░░░░░░ newspaper saying this is ░░░░░░░░ editorial direction we re ░░░░░░░░ in Now that s ░░░░░░░░ That s up to ░░░░░░░░ as we all know ░░░░░░░░ owner can do that ░░░░░░░░ editorial direction we re ░░░░░░░░ to go on our ░░░░░░░░ page but we will ░░░░░░░░ no dissent Talk about ░░░░░░░░ and the bigger problem ░░░░░░░░ these conglomerations owning media ░░░░░░░░ and the owners of ░░░░░░░░ conglomerations deciding they re ░░░░░░░░ to try to drive ░░░░░░░░ in a way that ░░░░░░░░ curry favor with Donald ░░░░░░░░ REMNICK Well look to ░░░░░░░░ it s tragic I ░░░░░░░░ career began there I ░░░░░░░░ the Washington Post enormously ░░░░░░░░ are still journalists that ░░░░░░░░ re doing great reporting ░░░░░░░░ But this is a ░░░░░░░░ tragedy This is the ░░░░░░░░ of the Pentagon Papers ░░░░░░░░ Watergate and so much ░░░░░░░░ And Jeff Bezos bought ░░░░░░░░ Washington Post for half ░░░░░░░░ price of his boat ░░░░░░░░ he has treated it ░░░░░░░░ a rubber dinghy And ░░░░░░░░ is a terrible tragedy ░░░░░░░░ Graham and Katharine Graham ░░░░░░░░ the importance of the ░░░░░░░░ Post and what it ░░░░░░░░ do and gave it ░░░░░░░░ freedom and we re ░░░░░░░░ forced to give up ░░░░░░░░ paper for financial reasons ░░░░░░░░ they thought they found ░░░░░░░░ Jeff Bezos somebody with ░░░░░░░░ resources that would you ░░░░░░░░ support its reporting and ░░░░░░░░ diversity of opinion and ░░░░░░░░ that makes it important ░░░░░░░░ now Jeff Bezos out ░░░░░░░░ fear out of fear ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump and what ░░░░░░░░ happening in the world ░░░░░░░░ giving up is throwing ░░░░░░░░ his hands and kissing ░░░░░░░░ ring of the president ░░░░░░░░ the United States who ░░░░░░░░ behaving himself as an ░░░░░░░░ authoritarian There s just ░░░░░░░░ question about this And ░░░░░░░░ s a terrible thing ░░░░░░░░ know in 1979 David ░░░░░░░░ publishes The Powers That ░░░░░░░░ It s about CBS ░░░░░░░░ Time Magazine The L ░░░░░░░░ Times and the Washington ░░░░░░░░ And here we are ░░░░░░░░ 2025 and all four ░░░░░░░░ those institutions are in ░░░░░░░░ ways diminished And these ░░░░░░░░ very precious BRZEZINSKI Under ░░░░░░░░ REMNICK This is what ░░░░░░░░ democracy.”