The Washington Post has backed out of an upcoming print ad that it had initially agreed to publish calling for the firing of Elon Musk as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, according to one of the left-wing groups that paid for the advertisement.
Common Cause, a watchdog for liberal policies, said it had signed a $115,000 deal with the Post to run the ad, which would have covered the front and back page of Tuesday’s paper along with a full-page ad inside the paper. The ad was purchased in collaboration with the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund.
The ad shows the White House superimposed over Musk with a bright red backdrop and the caption “Who’s running the country: Donald Trump or Elon Musk?” The wrap adds that Mr. Musk has “created chaos and confusion” and “is accountable to no one but himself.”
“The Constitution only allows for one president at a time. Call your senators and tell them it’s time Donald Trump fire Elon Musk,” the ad says, which includes a link to an anti-Musk website.
Common Cause said it sent the Post artwork for the wrap-around ad on Feb. 11 and was told three days later that the paper would be able to run it. The advocacy had already signed a contract with the Post and was waiting for a final review from the newspaper before it sent payment.
“Jeff Bezos’ Washington Post didn’t want you to see our ad questioning who’s in charge of this White House. We won’t stop holding power accountable,” the group said.
Common Cause said the Post did approve the ad that would run inside the paper, but the ad purchasers decided to walk away from the deal.
A spokesperson for the Washington Post did not respond to a request for comment.
The ad comes as Mr. Musk and his DOGE team have been working to dismantle the federal bureaucracy and slash costs. Although President Trump has insisted that Mr. Musk isn’t taking any action without his approval, Democrats have sought to demean the president by raising questions about who is “really” running the country.
Last year, the Post was criticized for not endorsing a candidate in last year’s presidential race. Reports later surfaced that Mr. Bezos had blocked the paper’s plan to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. Roughly 250,000 Post readers canceled their subscriptions over the decision.
Mr. Trump has feuded with the media since returning to the White House.
He has directed staffers to end subscriptions for media outlets he dislikes, such as Politico. The White House last week banned Associated Press reporters from entering press events in the Oval Office and traveling on Air Force One over the outlet’s refusal to change its style from “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.”
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.