Jeff Bezos faced criticism from the White House over his firm Amazon’s “hostile and political” move. The reaction of Trump administration comes as Amazon has reportedly decided to show how much the US President’s tariffs would raise the cost of imported goods.
According to Punchbowl News on Tuesday, the e-commerce behemoth has chosen to show on its website how much Trump’s tariffs will raise product prices as a result of consumers’ mounting worries regarding the impact of tariffs on pricing.
Trump, a new buddy of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is upset about Amazon’s move even if it would help consumers know where the charges are coming from.
After meeting with Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters Tuesday morning that Amazon was engaging in a “hostile and political move”.
“Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” she asked.
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White House rips into Jeff Bezos, says it’s not surprised
Moving further, Leavitt asserted that the news was “not a surprise” for them. She cited a Reuters article from December 2021 that claimed Amazon “partnered with a China propaganda arm,” calling it “recently reported.”
“So this is another reason why Americans should buy American,” she continued.
Amazon maintained that it complied with all laws and rules in the nations where it conducts business, including China, at the time of that reporting.
Bezos seemed to be warming up to Trump since he won the election in November. He donated $1 million to his inaugural fund and attended Trump’s inauguration. Trump even praised Bezos and other billionaire friends this week, saying they “have been great.”
However, it seems their relationship might have strained as a result of Amazon’s efforts to be upfront about price in response to Trump’s highly unpopular tariffs.
The White House Press Secretary refrained from commenting on Bezos’s present relationship with Trump.
Meanwhile, netizens reacted to WH’s statement against Amazon, with one X user asking: “Why shouldn’t they be transparent about showing the tariffs? It’ll help Americans buy American. Right, MAGA?”
“Sure, transparency is “hostile and political”. I thought this administration prides itself on its transparency. Apparently, that’s only true when positive things are said about trump and his policies,” another wrote, bashing Trump government.
