President Trump called Jeff Bezos Tuesday morning to fume at the Amazon founder about reported plans for the company to display a number alongside product prices that tells consumers exactly how much Trump’s tariffs are adding to the final cost, according to CNN.
Amazon had planned the display in the wake of Trump’s unprecedented tariff war on imports from virtually the entire world inevitably leading to increased prices. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called it a “hostile and political act” when asked about the news.
“This is a hostile and political act by Amazon. Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years? And I would also add that it’s not a surprise. As Reuters recently wrote: ‘Amazon has partnered with a Chinese propaganda arm,’” she stated. “So this is another reason why Americans should buy American; it’s another reason why we are onshoring critical supply chains here at home to shore up our own critical supply chain and boost our own manufacturing here.”
At some point, the president placed a call to one of his most high-profile supporters, and after that the tariff price marker idea was dead.
“Of course he was pissed.… Why should a multibillion-dollar company pass off costs to consumers?” an anonymous source told CNN, using pro-labor language to misrepresent the nature of the tariffs.
Amazon had an opportunity to show people everywhere what the impact of the president’s destructive trade policies actually looked like. Instead they seem to have fallen in line, even as Trump costs them.
The post “Pissed” Trump Called Jeff Bezos to Yell About Amazon Tariffs Report appeared first on New Republic.
