Longtime Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin has officially resigned from the paper. Known for her outspoken criticism of President Trump, Rubin is teaming up with former Obama White House official Norm Eisen to launch a new publication called The Contrarian. Eisen, who was co-counsel for the House Judiciary Committee during the first impeachment and trial of President Trump in 2020, will play a key role in the venture.
The outlet’s tagline, “Not owned by anybody,” is widely interpreted as a pointed critique of Jeff Bezos and corporate media ownership.
Rubin, recently took aim at the Post’s leadership, particularly its owner Jeff Bezos, accusing him of steering the publication toward greater political neutrality. “I fear that things are going from bad to worse at The Post,” Rubin told CNN, voicing her frustration during an interview about her departure. She further criticized the paper, saying it “has failed spectacularly at a moment that we most need a robust, aggressive free press.”
Rubin’s resignation follows a wave of departures by other high-profile staffers, including reporters Josh Dawsey, Ashley Parker, Michael Scherer, Tyler Page, and LeeAnn Caldwell; columnist Charles Lane; health and science editor Stephen Smith; and veteran editor Matea Gold. Editor-at-large Robert Kagan and multiple editorial board members also left last year after Bezos reportedly nixed a planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris.
In her resignation letter, which was shared by New York Times reporter Ben Mullin on X, Rubin sharply criticized Bezos and other corporate media owners. “Corporate and billionaire owners of major media outlets have betrayed their audiences’ loyalty and sabotaged journalism’s sacred mission – defending, protecting, and advancing democracy,” Rubin wrote. She accused Bezos and his management team of enabling “the most acute threat to American democracy – Donald Trump.”
Rubin was one of the Biden administration’s staunchest defenders during her tenure at the Washington Post, often drawing criticism for her strongly partisan columns in the already liberal-leaning publication.
