President Trump’s 100th day in office commenced with what seems to be a rapidly developing dispute between the White House and Amazon.
During a press conference on Tuesday morning, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took a strong stance. Amazon had accused the administration of being “hostile and political” following a report from Punchbowl News claiming that the online retail giant’s products reflected an increase in tariff-related prices.
Displaying import fees would have clarified to American consumers that they bear the costs of Trump’s tariff policy, rather than China.
Following the report, Trump reportedly spoke with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos over the phone, as confirmed by three sources familiar with the conversation. An Amazon spokesperson quickly denied that any such policy was active, and by Tuesday afternoon, Trump was back to complimenting Bezos.
“Jeff Bezos is really good,” Trump told reporters during a trip to Michigan for a rally celebrating the first 100 days of his second term. “He solved the problem very quickly. He did the right thing. He’s a good guy.”
The relationship between Trump and Bezos seemed to shift dramatically in just a few hours. Bezos, one of the billionaires aligning with the White House, was courted by Trump due to his business acumen. Yet the administration was quick to publicly challenge Bezos when it appeared his business interests could potentially undermine Trump’s political position.
This strategy appeared effective.
Leavitt criticized Amazon on Tuesday morning while standing beside Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent. She mentioned her recent phone conversation with the president regarding the Punchbowl report and questioned why Amazon didn’t react similarly to price increases during the Biden administration amid inflation.
Leavitt referred to a 2021 Reuters article declaring, “Amazon is affiliated with Chinese propaganda arms,” stating it was “not a surprise.”
An Amazon spokesperson later indicated that while they acknowledged some points from the Punchbowl report, the new feature Amazon Haul—aimed at competing with Chinese retailer Temu—would display “import fees” to eliminate customs loopholes.
“The team is always discussing ideas,” said spokesperson Ty Rogers in a statement. He clarified that this concept has not been contemplated for the main Amazon site, adding, “This will never be approved and will not happen.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick shared on social media that this development was “good news.”
Trump’s assertive tariffs on Chinese goods initiated an escalating trade war, despite his administration withdrawing from wider global negotiations, citing talks with numerous countries regarding new trade agreements.
Leavitt’s criticisms of Amazon were particularly significant given Bezos’ long-standing efforts to curry favor with the White House. Amazon contributed $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund and reserved prime seating for Bezos and his wife.
Before the election, Bezos canceled editor support for Kamala Harris at the Washington Post. Recently, Amazon Prime has added multiple seasons of “Apprentice” to its lineup and struck deals with the Trump family for a documentary about Melania Trump.
In December, Bezos discussed the move to Trump at the New York Times Dealbook Summit, commenting, “What I’ve seen so far is that he’s calmer compared to his first term.”
He remarked, “I’m very hopeful. He seems to have a lot of energy in reducing regulations.”
When asked about his relationship with Bezos in a recent Cover Story in Atlantic Magazine, released Monday, Trump stated, “He’s 100%. He was amazing.”
However, when Levitt was posed a question on Tuesday morning about whether Bezos would still be seen as a Trump supporter, she deflected.
“Look, I’m not going to discuss the president’s relationship with Jeff Bezos,” Levitt replied.
Source: www.nytimes.com
