The Trump administration took aggressive aim at Amazon today, after reports that the company would begin displaying the added cost of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on items. White House Press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the move a “hostile and political act.”
Punchbowl News reported earlier Tuesday that Amazon will soon “display how much of an item’s cost is derived from tariffs — right next to the product’s total listed price.” The move could directly illustrate to American consumers how Trump’s tariffs are impacting the cost of goods.
But it threatens to erode any goodwill the company, and founder Jeff Bezos, has built up with the Trump administration.
“This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,” Leavitt said at a White House press briefing, noting that she had spoken about the matter with Trump earlier that morning.
She cited a 2021 Reuters report on a partnership between the e-commerce company and a “Chinse propaganda arm” as she called on Americans to “buy American.” CNN has reached out to Amazon for comment.
“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,” she said.
Shares of Amazon opened down more than 1% Tuesday morning following those comments.
Leavitt declined to say what the move portended for the relationship between Trump and billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who has actively worked to cultivate a relationship with the president in his second term, congratulating him on his November election and dining at the White House. Amazon donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. Trump recently praised Bezos, telling The Atlantic in an interview published Monday: “He’s 100 percent. He’s been great.”
But Bezos’ net worth has declined by billions since the start of this year, according to Bloomberg, as a result of Trump’s tariff policies.
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