The White House on Tuesday strongly criticized Amazon for considering a move to display how President Trump’s new tariffs are affecting product prices, calling the idea “a hostile and political act.” According to press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the administration views Amazon’s reported plan as a clear political statement aimed at undermining efforts to rebuild American industry and prioritize domestic manufacturing.
Reports indicated that Amazon was contemplating showing shoppers how much tariffs added to the price of certain products, a step that drew immediate fire from the administration. “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration allowed inflation to spiral to historic highs?” Leavitt asked during a press briefing. She argued that highlighting tariff costs while ignoring years of price hikes under previous leadership would mislead consumers and amount to political interference from a major corporation.
Amazon responded by saying the proposal was only considered by one of its internal teams and had not been approved. “It is not going to happen,” a spokesperson said. Nonetheless, Leavitt emphasized the White House’s belief that the move reflected broader resistance among some corporations to the administration’s bold trade strategy. “This is another reason why Americans should buy American,” she said, reiterating the administration’s push for onshoring supply chains and revitalizing domestic production.
President Trump has implemented sweeping tariffs, including a 145% overall rate on Chinese goods and a 10% tariff on all other U.S. trading partners, with an initial 90-day pause on further reciprocal increases. The strategy is aimed at leveling the playing field for American workers and pressuring foreign producers to negotiate fairer trade terms.
When asked about Jeff Bezos’s personal stance on the president or his presence at Trump’s inauguration, Leavitt declined to comment on their relationship. However, she did hold up a photo of the Amazon founder while accusing the company of leveraging its influence to make political statements disguised as transparency.
The controversy comes amid broader concerns from major U.S. retailers over the potential impact of tariffs on consumer prices. Just last week, executives from Walmart, Target, and Home Depot met with Trump to share concerns about rising costs ahead of the holiday shopping season. Still, the administration insists the long-term goal is economic independence and resilience through stronger domestic manufacturing.
As the trade landscape continues to shift, the administration remains firm in its approach, encouraging Americans to support local industries while warning multinational corporations against politicizing policy decisions.
