“Do you notice the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times aren’t endorsing anybody?” Trump said to the audience. “You know what they’re really saying? Because they only endorse Democrats. They’re saying, ‘This Democrat’s no good. They’re no good,’ and they think I’m doing a great job. They just don’t want to say it.”

On Tuesday, USA Today, along with 200 other newspapers owned by Gannett, announced it would not endorse a presidential candidate. However, the outlets are authorized to make endorsements on the local and state levels.

“Why are we doing this? Because we believe America’s future is decided locally — one race at a time,” said Lark-Marie Anton, Gannett’s chief communications officer. “And with more than 200 publications across the nation, our public service is to provide readers with the facts that matter and the trusted information they need to make informed decisions.”

“I just heard USA Today has not endorsed. They said we’re not going to endorse. That means that they think she’s no good,” Trump added during his Wednesday rally, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris.

For the Washington Post, this is the first time since 1988 the paper has not endorsed a presidential candidate.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and owner of the paper, explained in an op-ed how endorsements don’t sway readers but instead alienate them from the paper.

“What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias,” Bezos wrote. “A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one.”

The daughter of the Los Angeles Times owner shared that the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza prevented the paper from pursuing an endorsement.

The New York Times endorsed Harris in September, dubbing her “the only patriotic choice for president.”