According to a new book, Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder who also owns The Washington Post, privately made influential recommendations to former President Donald Trump regarding his vice presidential selection. This revelation came alongside Bezos's controversial decision to overturn his newspaper's pre-planned endorsement for Kamala Harris just days before Trump secured a second presidential term.

Reportedly, in July 2024, the relationship between Bezos and Trump strengthened significantly after a pivotal phone conversation. During that call, Bezos praised Trump's fortitude after surviving an assassination attempt and casually recommended Doug Burgum—the governor of North Dakota—as an "excellent choice" for vice president. Burgum, who previously competed in the 2024 Republican primary, withdrew and endorsed Trump, eventually receiving a position as Secretary of the Interior within Trump's administration.

Burgum, notable for previously running the software firm Great Plains Software, which he sold to Microsoft in 2001, is now at the forefront of Trump's divisive environmental agenda, aimed aggressively at expanding oil and gas drilling in the United States. Although Trump eventually decided to select Ohio Senator JD Vance as his vice president, Burgum continues to wield significant influence through his appointed administrative role, where he's directly responsible for overseeing domestic oil and gas development in the country, a sector already producing approximately 21.691 million barrels of crude oil daily.

The Inside Story of Trump's Return to Power," suggests Bezos had been building a strategic connection with Trump over several months. Bezos further troubled Post insiders by emailing instructions directing the newspaper’s journalists to prioritize "personal liberties and free markets" in their reporting. This editorial shift triggered the resignation of opinion editor David Shipley.

On October 25, just ten days before the 2024 election, Bezos reportedly made the decisive move to block a previously prepared Washington Post endorsement supporting Kamala Harris, contradicting the paper's support for Trump's opponents in the two prior election cycles. Following Trump's victory, Amazon announced a notable $1 million dollar donation to Trump's inaugural fund, matching a similar contribution from Meta's parent company.

Bezos later appeared in solidarity with other prominent tech executives—including Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Sundar Pichai—at Trump's inauguration ceremony held on January 20, marking a dramatic change in his political posture compared to previous electoral cycles.