Journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernsteinbest known for his reporting on the Watergate scandal, has downplayed it Washington Post for his refusal to endorse a presidential candidate in 2024.

The legendary journalists made a statement on Friday, according to CNN’s Brian Stelter.

“We respect the editorial page’s traditional independence, but this decision 11 days after the 2024 presidential election ignores Washington Post own overwhelming report evidence of the threat Donald Trump poses to democracy,” the men wrote. “Under Jeff Bezos’ ownership, Washington Post news operation has used its ample resources to carefully examine the danger and damage that a second Trump presidency could cause to the future of American democracy and that makes this decision all the more surprising and disappointing, especially this late in the election process.”

Woodward and Bernstein worked for Washington Post when they reported on Watergate.

They are the latest to express their displeasure with Post for refusing to choose between Harris and Trump.

“This is cowardice, with democracy as a victim”, ex Washington Post wrote managing editor Marty Baron on social media. “(Donald Trump) will see this as an invitation to further intimidate the owner (Bezos) (and others). Disturbing spinelessness at an institution known for courage.”

According to Post Reporters, Bezos, the magazine’s owner and founder of Amazon, reportedly made the decision not to endorse, even though editorial staff at the magazine had already drafted their decision.

Washington Post publisher and CEO Will Lewis wrote in an op-ed on Friday that the lack of an endorsement was not an act of pandering to fear of a billionaire and his lackeys, but rather was just Post revert to its original policy of not endorsing presidential candidates.

He reminded readers that the paper first began supporting candidates in 1976.

“We recognize that this will be read in a number of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility,” Lewis wrote. “It’s inevitable. We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The mail has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service of the American ethic, reverence for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects.”

Bezos said he hired Lewis because of his “conservative bona fides” and that he liked that Lewis could play nice with “powerful conservative figures.” That was reported by NPR.

Robert Kagan, a major editor at Post and a perennial critic of Trump, resigned Friday after the paper refused to endorse. According to NPR, the general tenor of the newsroom after the announcement was negative.

A group of opinion writers at Post explained in a column why they believe it would be a “terrible mistake not to lean”.

“It represents an abandonment of the paper’s core editorial beliefs that we love and have worked for for a combined 218 years,” the column said. “This is a moment for the institution to make clear its commitment to democratic values, the rule of law and international alliances, and the threat that Donald Trump poses to them – the exact points The mail was made to support Trump’s opponents in 2016 and 2020.”

Patrick Soong-Shiong, the owner of L.A. Timesalso blocked his newspaper from making an endorsement in the presidential election.

Subscribers showed Shiong and Bezos what they thought of the decision by unsubscribing. Semaphore reported that at least 2,000 subscribers have completed theirs Post subscriptions since the announcement and another 1,300 LA times subscribers have canceled.