The Washington Post has decided not to run a ‘Fire Elon Musk’ advertisement, despite initially approving it to appear as a wrap on some of its Tuesday editions, according to Common Cause, the advocacy group behind the ad.
Common Cause had arranged a $115,000 deal with The Post to place the ad in several of its Tuesday editions. The plan was to have the ad cover both the front and back pages, as well as a full-page spread inside the paper. The group had partnered with the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund for the campaign.
The ad’s design showed a large image of Elon Musk laughing, with the question: “Who’s running this country: Donald Trump or Elon Musk?” Below, smaller text read, “Since day one, Elon has created chaos and confusion and put our livelihoods at risk. And he is accountable to no one but himself.” It urged readers to contact their senators and tell Trump to “fire Elon Musk.”
Virginia Kase Solomón, president of Common Cause, said the group’s ad sales representative at The Post seemed confident there wouldn’t be any issues with running the ad. The paper had planned to deliver the edition to subscribers at the Congress, Pentagon, and White House.
“We submitted the artwork last Tuesday. It likely went through legal review, but they told us we could place the ad inside the paper but not as a wrap,” Kase Solomón said. “We decided to back out because we had too many questions.”
By Friday, Common Cause was informed that The Post would not run the ad on the outside of the paper as initially agreed. Kase Solomón questioned whether the decision was influenced by fear of backlash from Musk or even President Trump.
The Post did not offer an explanation for why it rejected the ad. A spokesperson declined to comment, citing a policy of not discussing specific ad decisions.
Kase Solomón said the decision was a surprise, especially since Common Cause had been shown sample ads, including one funded by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers. That ad supported Trump and showed him giving a thumbs-up.
Take a look at the ads below.
The $115,000 was a significant investment for Common Cause, and since the ad never ran, the group didn’t pay anything for it.
Common Cause has organized thousands of calls to Congress and the White House over Musk’s role in the federal government. The group also gathered 60,000 petition signatures calling for action against Musk. The “Fire Elon Musk” campaign was launched on February 3, in partnership with the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund and End Citizens United.
