The Washington Post decided against publishing a print ad from advocacy groups Common Cause and the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, which called for the removal of Elon Musk as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. The ad, one of two purchased for $115,000, was set to run on Tuesday and featured the White House superimposed over Musk with a red backdrop and the caption, “Who’s running this country: Donald Trump or Elon Musk?” The ad claimed that Musk has “created chaos and confusion” and “is accountable to no one by himself.” The advocacy groups’ petition, which had 95,556 signatures at the time, aimed to raise public pressure on lawmakers to take action. The decision to cancel the ad came after the groups had signed a contract and were awaiting final review. The Post did not provide a specific reason for the cancellation but offered to run an interior ad, which the groups declined. The Post’s ad policy allows it to refuse any advertisement for any reason. Common Cause’s president, Virginia Kase Solomón, expressed concern, suggesting that the paper’s decision might be influenced by fear or compliance. The Post’s decision also comes as President Trump has directed the White House to end subscriptions for media outlets he dislikes, including Politico and the Associated Press. — news from CNN
