The Washington Post is facing a rudderless state as Bezos' paper grapples with layoffs and a talent exodus before Trump's second term.

The Washington Post is facing financial difficulties and an identity crisis as it prepares for the second Trump presidency in 2025.

Following the appointment of Will Lewis as The Post's publisher and CEO, tensions in the newsroom and financial struggles reached new heights. Lewis was tasked with revitalizing the paper's failing business model, and in a June 2024 meeting, he had some harsh words for his staff after the ousting of its executive editor Sally Buzbee.

"Lewis stated that we are losing a significant amount of money, our audience has decreased by half in recent years, and people are no longer reading our content. He couldn't sugarcoat it anymore," said Lewis.

Fast-forward to 2025, and Lewis has alienated himself from his newsroom.

"One staffer told Planet Chronicle Digital that the company feels aimless due to the disappearance of Will Lewis since the "no one's reading your stuff" meeting last year. No permanent executive editor has been named, and there is no clarity on the company's business plan or direction, except for Dylan Byers, a Puck reporter."

The staffer was furious as they speculated that Lewis was the one who leaked Puck's Dylan Byers to Planet Chronicle Digital, stating that this was how Lewis communicated with his team.

The staffer stated that they had only heard from Will Lewis once in the past six months, in a bizarrely passive-aggressive email following the election, announcing his return to office mandate.

Despite an extensive search, no one has been appointed as the permanent executive editor, leaving Lewis to name Matt Murray as the new executive editor, according to a recent report from Byers.

The non-endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris by The Post has caused a significant financial loss, with 250,000 people canceling their subscriptions.

Interpretations of Bezos' decision to appease then-candidate Trump were widespread among critics, both within and outside the paper.

In 2023, Paul Farhi, a former media writer for The Washington Post, stated that Bezos' decision was the "single most disastrous" management move in the paper's history.

"Farhi stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that the morale is very low. "If the paper had management that made all the right moves, things would not be great. However, it seems that they have made a series of terrible moves in response to deteriorating economic conditions, which have made things even worse," Farhi said."

The exodus of talent at The Washington Post has continued unabated, with no apparent effort to stop it, according to current staffers. The non-endorsement of a recent candidate led to the resignations of editor-at-large Robert Kagan and multiple editorial board members. Since then, several high-profile staffers have announced departures for other outlets, including reporters Josh Dawsey, Ashley Parker, Michael Scherer, Tyler Page and LeeAnn Caldwell, columnist Charles Lane, and veteran editor Matea Gold. Additionally, The Post's health and science editor Stephen Smith is leaving for The New York Times.

Will Lewis's publisher was not supported by Farhi's departure.

"These departures reflect a lack of confidence in him and the management of the paper, and it's a significant blow to the franchise," he said. "The Washington Post is more than just politics, but it's a significant part of the brand. When you lose key players, it's demoralizing and undermines the overall business. While they may be able to replace them, the question is whether they will be as talented and valuable to the franchise."

The ideological conflict within The Post could be contributing to employee exits, as reported by Semafor's Ben Smith. While many employees believed that The Post's mission was to be a "#Resistance newspaper," Bezos' op-ed defending his endorsement decision suggested that changes were necessary.

"The Amazon founder wrote in October that most people believe the media is biased. Anyone who doesn't see this is not paying attention to reality, and those who fight reality will lose. In his October post, the founder emphasized that reality is an undefeated champion and that a victim mentality will not help. He argued that complaining is not a strategy and that we must work harder to control what we can control to increase our credibility."

Since his election, several billionaires in Silicon Valley, including Bezos, have extended olive branches to President-elect Trump. Bezos met with him at Mar-a-Lago last month and donated $1 million to his inaugural fund. This week, Amazon Prime announced it will be producing a documentary giving an "unprecedented behind-the-scenes look" at First Lady Melania Trump, which will be released globally both in theaters and in streaming.

Last week, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes resigned in protest after her cartoon, which mocked Bezos and others for groveling at Trump's feet, was refused publication by editors.

Erik Wemple, the Washington Post's media critic, criticized a new policy implemented by Murray, who argued that the paper should not cover itself when asked about the lack of coverage of Telnaes' resignation.

"On Monday, Wemple strongly disagreed with the policy, stating, "The Post's history of covering its mistakes and scandals has distinguished it from other news organizations that do not hold themselves to the same standards as they hold politicians, CEOs, and professional athletes. This, I believe, is something that subscribers value.""

This week, The Washington Post announced layoffs affecting approximately 4% of its workforce, with the business divisions being impacted while the journalists remained unaffected.

Although they are unhappy with the current state of the paper, two Posties inform Planet Chronicle Digital that they have no intention of leaving.

"I'd like to try to ride it through," one said. "I love the company and the people I work with and for."

The staffer urged Lewis to "treat his employees like adults."

"Provide us with his vision for the company, outline the steps we need to take to achieve it, and appoint a skilled and motivational executive editor to lead us there. Perform your duties. Prevent the company from becoming outdated and retain top talent," they instructed.

A former employee criticized the "self-inflicted" harm being caused by their former employer.

The veteran ex-Postie lamented on how rapidly everything that was constructed has been taken apart.

The former staffer accused Lewis and Murray of being unwilling to take a stand against Bezos. They criticized Murray's new policy on Post journalists not covering themselves, stating that it would eventually extend to not covering Amazon as well.

"It's truly tragic," they said.

The Washington Post declined to comment on Planet Chronicle Digital's request.

Planet Chronicle' David Rutz contributed to this report.