Amazon’s decision to display a number next to the price of each product on its website that shows how much President Donald Trump’s recent tariffs are adding to the cost is “hostile and political,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.
“This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,” she said. “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 because, as Reuters recently wrote, Amazon has partnered with a Chinese propaganda arm.”
Trump’s 145% tariffs on China will likely hit Amazon’s business hard because 60% of its sales come from smaller, independent retailers who often rely on imports.
“This is another reason why Americans should buy American,” Leavitt said. “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.”
Leavitt declined to address Trump’s relationship with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who was a guest of the president at his Jan. 20 Inauguration.
“Look, I will not speak to the president’s relationship with Jeff Bezos, but I will tell you that this is certainly a hostile and political action by Amazon,” Leavitt said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added that bringing down what he called Biden-flation has been a priority for the Trump administration’s first 100 days, a milestone that was marked today.
“Interest rates, mortgage rates are down; gasoline and energy prices are down,” Bessent said. “We’re expecting the further decreases. And as Karoline said, the big tax on consumers that goes unnoticed is regulation, and we are deregulating and bringing that down.”
“We are doing peace deals, trade deals, tax deals, and deregulating, and the deregulation is a longer lead time,” Bessent continued, “but I think by the third and fourth quarters, that’s really going to kick in.”