Who is the President: Trump or Musk? A Newspaper Unveils a Surprise

19th February 2025

2 minutes read

Who is the President: Trump or Musk? A Newspaper Unveils a Surprise

The sudden cancellation of an ad calling for Elon Musk’s removal has placed an American newspaper at the center of a new controversy.

The Washington Post unexpectedly canceled an ad scheduled for publication this Tuesday that called for Musk’s dismissal from his government position.

The ad was submitted by the organization Common Cause along with another group, raising questions about the real reasons behind this reversal, especially since the ad had already been approved by the newspaper’s advertising department.

Ad Details

The ad, with a striking headline, was set to cover both the front and back pages of editions distributed to the White House, the Pentagon, and Congress. It was created in collaboration with the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, with a total cost of $115,000.

It featured a satirical image of Elon Musk laughing in front of the White House, accompanied by a bold question: “Who runs this country: Donald Trump or Elon Musk?” along with a direct call for readers to pressure members of Congress to demand his removal.

Although the ad complied with the newspaper’s editorial standards, according to Virginia Kase Solomon, executive director of Common Cause, it was later withdrawn without a clear explanation, leading her to describe the decision as “mysterious.”

This development comes amid growing criticism of The Washington Post’s editorial direction under the ownership of Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. These criticisms intensified after the newspaper’s decision last year to abandon its long-standing tradition of endorsing presidential candidates, as well as after Bezos attended Trump’s inauguration.

More than 400 employees of the newspaper have voiced their concerns about management decisions that they believe threaten the institution’s credibility, through a collective letter demanding a discussion on editorial policies.

Reactions

The concerned organizations have launched a campaign this month aiming to remove Musk from his position as Chairman of the Office of Government Efficiency, an informal entity overseeing the downsizing of federal agencies and support programs.

Margaret Huang, from the Southern Poverty Law Center, warned that Musk’s policies could negatively impact low-income individuals and marginalized communities, emphasizing that the campaign seeks to enforce accountability for those in government roles who bypass usual transparency standards.

This is not the first instance where advertisements have clashed with media editorial policies.

Earlier this month, Fox News declined to air an ad from a Democratic group criticizing Trump’s freeze on federal spending, once again highlighting the ongoing tension between editorial freedom and political pressure.