Adam O'Neal, the opinion editor at The Washington Post, announced on Friday, July 31, 2026, that he will leave the paper after roughly one year on the job. In a memo obtained by Fox News Digital, O'Neal wrote, "I’m writing to announce that I have decided to leave The Washington Post. My last day will be August 31."

O'Neal joined The Post in July 2025, coming from roles as a correspondent for The Economist and an editorial page writer for The Wall Street Journal. He said he took the position to lead the opinion section into a new chapter and highlighted the dramatic changes made over the past year. "We quickly embraced our mission of championing free markets and personal liberties while simultaneously putting Post Opinions on a sustainable footing," he wrote. He also noted improvements in the opinion section's page views and time spent on the site.

Jeff D’Onofrio, The Washington Post's acting CEO and publisher, thanked O'Neal for making the opinion section "more balanced in perspective, more financially sustainable and more accessible to readers than ever before," and said a leadership transition will be planned ahead of O'Neal's departure.

O'Neal held an all-hands meeting with staff where he described his exit as a "personal decision." According to a staffer present, everyone was "incredibly surprised" by the announcement. A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that Post leadership was "blindsided" by O'Neal's exit. The source also stated there were no tensions between O'Neal, D’Onofrio, and owner Jeff Bezos. O'Neal was reportedly tasked with carrying out Bezos' directive that the editorial pages promote free markets and liberties.

Sources