The Washington Post's non-endorsement timing was deemed a 'blunder' by Barry Diller.

• In a Monday appearance on CNBC's Squawk Box, Barry Diller, the chairman of Expedia, criticized The Washington Post's decision not to endorse a presidential candidate, calling it a "blunder."
• He also said the move was "absolutely principled."
• The decision not to endorse a candidate was made by Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post and founder of Amazon.

According to Barry Diller, a friend of Jeff Bezos, The Washington Post's decision not to endorse a candidate in tomorrow's presidential election was "absolutely principled" but "poorly timed," as he stated on CNBC's Squawk Box on Monday.

Diller stated that the mistake occurred because it should have happened months earlier, but it didn't, which is the problem.

Diller serves as chairperson for both online travel company and , which owns media platforms and websites such as Dotdash Meredith and Care.com. Diller and Bezos have been close friends for years, with Diller and his wife, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, hosting Bezos's engagement party to fiancee Lauren Sanchez.

According to a report by two Post reporters, the decision not to endorse a presidential candidate in the 2024 race or for future presidential races was made directly by Bezos, the paper's owner.

The move resulted in public condemnation from several staff writers, a flood of at least 250,000 digital subscription cancellations, and the resignations of at least three editorial board members.

In an op-ed, Bezos defended his stance on the move, stating that it was a "significant step towards restoring public trust in media and journalism."

""Presidential endorsements have no impact on election outcomes," Bezos stated, highlighting that the decision not to endorse a candidate was made "entirely internally" without consulting either campaign. "I regret not making the change earlier, in a moment less emotionally charged," he added."

Diller said he spoke to Bezos following the decision.

"Diller stated that the error made by them, which was admitted by him, was a matter of timing."