The Political Leanings of The New York Times’ Opinion Pages

The New York Times faces criticism for lacking representation for nearly half of the U.S. voting population on its opinion pages. With the departure of conservative writer Ross Douthat, the Times currently has 12 featured columnists. They include Jamelle Bouie, Maureen Dowd, David French, Thomas Friedman, M. Gessen, Michelle Goldberg, Ezra Klein, Nicholas Kristof, Carlos Lozada, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Lydia Polgreen, and Bret Stephens.

A majority of these columnists, like Ezra Klein and Nicholas Kristof, are recognized as liberals. Only David French and Bret Stephens are identified as conservatives, but both have consistently opposed former President Donald Trump. They have even declared their support for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

Douthat’s departure follows his transition to ’60 Minutes’ under CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, a former Times colleague. Weiss left the Times in 2020, citing bullying by far-left staff, particularly after an op-ed by Tom Cotton about using federal troops to control civil unrest stirred controversy.

The remaining columnists’ political bias often appears in their commentary. Thomas Friedman once struggled with the idea of supporting the Iranian regime’s fall because it might benefit Trump and Netanyahu. Nicholas Kristof faced backlash for uncritically reporting claims about Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Michelle Goldberg retracted favorable reporting on a political candidate accused of sexual assault.

The New York Times’ editorial board has not endorsed a Republican for president since Dwight D. Eisenhower, consistently supporting Democratic candidates in 17 successive elections. After Trump’s 2024 victory, the Times published a video with its columnists predicting adverse scenarios under his administration.

Meanwhile, The Washington Post has altered its opinion pages under owner Jeff Bezos to emphasize personal liberties and free markets. This change was met with resistance from its liberal audience. Opinion editor Adam O’Neal highlighted the dominance of liberal readers at The Post, especially in blue states.

With Douthat’s exit, the New York Times’ conservative presence diminishes further. The remaining conservative voices are staunchly anti-Trump. The Times has not commented on Fox News Digital’s requests for input.