Andrew Ross Sorkin

That's just an empirical situation, and they demonstrably were targeted by the president over and over and over again. Bezos also owns Blue Origin, which, by the way, is going to compete with SpaceX, has enormous billions of dollars in government contracts. And so Jeff Bezos – and he said this quite publicly – as an owner of the Post is quite conflicted.

That's just an empirical situation, and they demonstrably were targeted by the president over and over and over again. Bezos also owns Blue Origin, which, by the way, is going to compete with SpaceX, has enormous billions of dollars in government contracts. And so Jeff Bezos – and he said this quite publicly – as an owner of the Post is quite conflicted.

From a perception perspective, if optics are how you're considering this, he was very open that he believes that he's probably not the best owner in that context. He will tell you, he told me at the deal book summit that he believed he was making a principled decision about the decision not to endorse a candidate and also accepted that the timing of it was terrible. I don't know.

From a perception perspective, if optics are how you're considering this, he was very open that he believes that he's probably not the best owner in that context. He will tell you, he told me at the deal book summit that he believed he was making a principled decision about the decision not to endorse a candidate and also accepted that the timing of it was terrible. I don't know.

You're going to have to decide whether you want to believe him or not. On the Disney story, or I should say on the ABC story.

You're going to have to decide whether you want to believe him or not. On the Disney story, or I should say on the ABC story.

So I think it's actually much more complicated than it's being portrayed by some.

So I think it's actually much more complicated than it's being portrayed by some.

I think they're very different situations because the truth is that I think that as Disney and ABC looked at this case, they saw depositions that were going to have to be taken. That we're likely going to get into the public that might have had unattractive facts. The media is clearly under a lot of scrutiny.

I think they're very different situations because the truth is that I think that as Disney and ABC looked at this case, they saw depositions that were going to have to be taken. That we're likely going to get into the public that might have had unattractive facts. The media is clearly under a lot of scrutiny.

And I think even if you thought that ABC would, quote unquote, win the case on the law, on the law, there was a potential that they would even lose the case in the public mind.

And I think even if you thought that ABC would, quote unquote, win the case on the law, on the law, there was a potential that they would even lose the case in the public mind.

That, plus if they actually lost the case and then were to try to appeal the case, they would have to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. Now think about the Supreme Court for a second. 6-3, right, in terms of the politics of that court. You could potentially undermine what's called New York Times versus Sullivan. Famous First Amendment.

That, plus if they actually lost the case and then were to try to appeal the case, they would have to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. Now think about the Supreme Court for a second. 6-3, right, in terms of the politics of that court. You could potentially undermine what's called New York Times versus Sullivan. Famous First Amendment.

1964, which granted effectively the press enormous, almost expansive. What's the word?

1964, which granted effectively the press enormous, almost expansive. What's the word?

And so there's a question. Do you want to go through that entire process and potentially either lose in the public mind or lose in court and then potentially really lose on behalf of, frankly, all of journalism? Or do you want to settle? Got it. That would be the defensive description of why Disney or ABC did that.

And so there's a question. Do you want to go through that entire process and potentially either lose in the public mind or lose in court and then potentially really lose on behalf of, frankly, all of journalism? Or do you want to settle? Got it. That would be the defensive description of why Disney or ABC did that.

This is about the heights of power. This is demonstration of raw power. Now, it might be raw power in the context of a honeymoon, but he now has power, obviously, in the White House. He has power in the Senate. He has power in Congress. And he has power within the industry. And as a collection, walking into the inauguration, he clearly is feeling that sense of power.

This is about the heights of power. This is demonstration of raw power. Now, it might be raw power in the context of a honeymoon, but he now has power, obviously, in the White House. He has power in the Senate. He has power in Congress. And he has power within the industry. And as a collection, walking into the inauguration, he clearly is feeling that sense of power.