White House slams Amazon over ‘hostile and political act’ by listing tariff surcharge

Amazon was blasted today, and it had nothing to do with SpaceX.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt seized the microphone at a press briefing on tariffs to say Amazon’s decision to add a button listing the cost of an item due to a Trump tariff was a “hostile and political act.”

“Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” she said, adding she had just gotten off the phone with President Donald Trump on Amazon’s move.

She accused Amazon of partnering with a “Chinese propaganda arm.” She did not address a question about Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, who also owns the Washington Post.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent let Leavitt field that question while he said deals are being negotiated — especially with India — to iron out new trade agreements. He stressed 17 countries are coming to the table, but the 18th — China — is going to be set aside in its own category.

He did not announce any new deals today, but said he is “very close on India.”

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently said the tariffs President Trump left in place could result in higher prices, according to published reports. He told CNBC that Amazon has done some “strategic forward inventory buys” to try to keep prices in line.

But Leavitt said this morning adding a disclaimer blaming a price hike on a tariff is political stunt.

The New York Post is reporting that nearly 1,000 products sold on Amazon have seen price increases since mid-April, as US tariffs on Chinese imports ripple through the retail sector.

Bessent stressed this morning that securing deals on tariffs after decades of imbalance will take time and that’s why “individual investors trust President Trump.”

Related Articles


Noveletsky: I’m in the steel biz, Trump’s right about steel tariffs


Trump floats tax cut amid tariff fight


Trade talk disconnect: Trump, China at odds over negotiations


Swiss pharmaceuticals company Roche announces $50B investment in US over next 5 years


Massachusetts state pension funds should be safe from market volatility, managers say

He also added the equation has as much to do with national security as economics, explaining the U.S. cannot be beholden to foreign countries for chip making and more and still have a sense of security.

News on auto tariffs, he added, will roll out later today to help “bring back high quality jobs” to the U.S. He also stressed the tax bill in Congress is key to adding fuel to the economy.

Social media response to Amazon’s reported plan to add the cost of a tariff upon checkout has been met with criticisms of why the company doesn’t add a button claiming a product was “Made in America,” while some have said it’s “transparency” for the buyer.

All this news didn’t seem to boost the markets today, with AP reporting stocks are drifting in mixed trading. The news service also posted that Americans’ confidence in the economy slumped for the fifth straight month as tariffs are on everyone’s mind.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous post How Julian Gressel can immediately help Minnesota United
Next post Milkshakes could face sugar tax under Treasury plans to expand levy