The Washington Post laid off approximately a third of its newsroom this week, prompting many of those impacted to protest outside the newspaper’s D.C. headquarters — there is a certain irony in these journalists resorting to activism to protest cuts that came in response to the newspaper bleeding subscribers.
The newspaper, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, reported financial losses of approximately $100 million in 2024 and is reportedly eliminating its sports department, drastically cutting overseas journalists, and closing its books department in what is being described as “a dramatic restructuring.”
“The Washington Post is taking a number of difficult but decisive actions today for our future, in what amounts to a significant restructuring across the company,” a Post spokesperson said in a statement. “These steps are designed to strengthen our footing and sharpen our focus on delivering the distinctive journalism that sets The Post apart and, most importantly, engages our customers.”
🚨NOW: Laid off WaPo leftists meltdown outside HQ:
A crowd of freshly woke unemployed Washington Post staffers are out there right now, crying in the street because they’re no longer getting paid six figures to post shit.
“Who makes the Post?! WE DO!”pic.twitter.com/MUi1m1fxeM
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) February 5, 2026
A contributing factor here is that an estimated 250,000 subscribers cancelled after the Post opted not to endorse a presidential candidate — see Kamala Harris — in late 2024, according to KATV.
One of those laid off took to X to announce her plight, but things may not have turned out as she planned — as might be expected, Akilah Johnson restricts who can respond to her post.
“In 2021, I was hired by @washingtonpost to cover health disparities & explore the way racism & social inequality affects health,” Johnson wrote. “4 months ago, I became the generations’ reporter exploring how health is experienced by different pple across the life course. Today, I was laid off.”
In 2021, I was hired by @washingtonpost to cover health disparities & explore the way racism & social inequality affects health. 4 months ago, I became the generations’ reporter exploring how health is experienced by different pple across the life course. Today, I was laid off.
— Akilah Johnson (@akjohnson1922) February 4, 2026
Conservative influencer Matt Walsh countered with a humorous take of his own: “I was hired by the Washington Post in 2019 to cover the way racism in the healthcare industry impacts gay aborigine midgets with cardiovascular disease. Today I was laid off. I worked incredibly hard over the past 7 years to produce no less than 4 articles on this important subject. I was only paid $650,000 a year for my tireless efforts. Now I’m out of a job. I can’t believe this has happened to me.”
I was hired by the Washington Post in 2019 to cover the way racism in the healthcare industry impacts gay aborigine midgets with cardiovascular disease. Today I was laid off. I worked incredibly hard over the past 7 years to produce no less than 4 articles on this important…
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) February 5, 2026
But, the funniest response may have come from The Babylon Bee’s Seth Dillion.
“If your position at The Washington Post was recently eliminated, please consider applying to write for The Babylon Bee. We are seeking applicants experienced in writing fictional content presented in the tone and style of a legitimate news organization,” he wrote.
If your position at The Washington Post was recently eliminated, please consider applying to write for The Babylon Bee. We are seeking applicants experienced in writing fictional content presented in the tone and style of a legitimate news organization.
— Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) February 5, 2026
Turns out, the response from Walsh was part of a trend of sarcastic replies to the layoffs, seemingly coming from those who have had their fill of media bias.
Here’s a sampling of some of those responses to the story, as seen on X:
I was part of the Washington Post layoffs today.
My job was to identify any location or activity with predominantly White people and explain why we should all be ashamed of ourselves for allowing it to exist.
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) February 5, 2026
I was just laid off from the Washington Post. It was my job to make sure it was always make sure every criminals’ race was mentioned, unless they weren’t white. Then it was my job to make sure race wasn’t mentioned.
— Dr Strangetweet or How I Learned to Love the RT (@lone_rides) February 4, 2026
I was hired by the Washington Post in 10 years ago to be a screeching social justice warrior and and cover issues from a female black queer perspective. Today they laid me off.
— Ronin Eternales (@RoninEternales) February 5, 2026
In 2021, I was hired by the Washington Post to cover how racism and lack of access to abortion contribute to the genocide in Gaza
Today, I and the rest of the sports section were laid off, all because Jeff Bezos didn’t want to pay us each $2 million ever year
— Zachary Faria (@ZacharyFaria) February 4, 2026
Welp, I got laid off from the Washington Post this morning. I was in charge of searching the thesaurus for adjectives like “austere” or “revered” for the obituaries of Islamic terrorists killed by Trump.
— Magills (@magills_) February 4, 2026
In 2020, I was hired by the Washington Post to cover furry psychosexuality and elven or gnomish diapered genderplay. Two years later, I transferred to the transgendered Aleutian equity team, with a sideline on the organic grains beat. Today, I was laid off. https://t.co/Env91GfRAP
— Chris Bray (@a_chrisbray) February 5, 2026
The “race reporter” — yes, that’s his title — was let go from The Washington Post. He says that at a meeting last year, writers were told that race-baiting stories drive subscriptions. https://t.co/XDt06iR8IK
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) February 4, 2026
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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