For just a moment, it looked like Jeff Bezos and Amazon had grown a set. Bezos has famously become a Donald Trump fan, even using his position as owner of the Washington Post to order the Post’s editors to dump their endorsement of Kamala Harris last year. But I thought that when it affected Bezos’ bottom line, Bezos might show some spine. But no. The Trump Tariffs are going to wreak havoc on basically every part of the American economy, if not the global economy. Someone at Amazon thought it would be a good idea to introduce a line on Amazon’s site where people could see the real cost of the Trump Tariffs on the products consumers are buying. The plan was shut down as soon as the Trump White House whined about it publicly, and Trump apparently called Bezos personally to get Amazon’s plan shut down.
President Donald Trump personally called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on Tuesday to complain about a report that the online retail giant was considering displaying U.S. tariff costs on its product listings, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News.
Within hours of the call, Amazon publicly downplayed the scope of its plan — and then announced that it had been scrapped entirely.
The pressure campaign on Bezos by Trump and the White House came after Punchbowl News reported earlier Tuesday that Amazon will soon show consumers how much of an item’s cost comes from tariffs. The amount added as a result of tariffs will be displayed right next to each product’s total listed price, a person familiar with the plan told the news outlet.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the report by torching Amazon over what she called “a hostile and political act.”
“Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” Leavitt asked. She added, “This is another reason why Americans should buy American.”
Amazon shares dropped more than 2% in premarket trading immediately following the remarks. By noon, the stock had recovered its losses.
Less than two hours after the press briefing, an Amazon spokesperson told CNBC that the company was only ever considering listing tariff charges on some products for Amazon Haul, its budget-focused shopping section.
“The team that runs our ultra low cost Amazon Haul store has considered listing import charges on certain products,” the spokesperson said. “This was never a consideration for the main Amazon site and nothing has been implemented on any Amazon properties.”
But in a follow-up statement an hour after that one, the spokesperson clarified that the plan to show tariff surcharges was “never approved” and is “not going to happen.”
The White House spokesmoron really did call the proposal a “hostile and political act”… to show consumers how much the Trump Tariffs really cost them. It’s remarkable that even the IDEA of showing the true cost of the Trump Tariffs was so incendiary that Donald Trump panicked and called Jeff Bezos immediately. Bezos shouldn’t have backed down. The billionaire class supporting Trump remains one of the oddest parts of this whole fascist catastrophe – granted, they have enough money to be insulated from the worst of Trump’s insanity and fascism, but Trump really is affecting their bottom line across the board.
REPORTER: Amazon will soon display a number next to the price of each product that shows how much the Trump tariffs are adding. Isn't that a perfect demonstration that it's the American consumer who is paying for these policies?
LEAVITT: This is a hostile and political act by… pic.twitter.com/oewT08hBSH
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 29, 2025
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- SANTA MONICA, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – APRIL 05: American entrepreneur, business magnate, Founder and Executive chairman of Amazon Jeff Bezos arrives at the 11th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony 2025 held at the Barker Hangar on April 5, 2025 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 984388736, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jeff Bezos, Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- SANTA MONICA, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – APRIL 05: American entrepreneur, business magnate, Founder and Executive chairman of Amazon Jeff Bezos arrives at the 11th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony 2025 held at the Barker Hangar on April 5, 2025 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 984388824, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jeff Bezos, Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 05: Jeff Bezos attends the 11th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 05, 2025 in Santa Monica, California.,Image: 984708920, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jeff Bezos, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon
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- From left, Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos and Sundar Pichai arrive before the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States takes place inside the Capitol Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., Monday, January 20, 2025. It is the 60th U.S. presidential inauguration and the second non-consecutive inauguration of Trump as U.S. president Featuring: Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 20 Jan 2025 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- Jeff Bezos and Sundar Pichai arrive before the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States takes place inside the Capitol Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., Monday, January 20, 2025. It is the 60th U.S. presidential inauguration and the second non-consecutive inauguration of Trump as U.S. president Featuring: Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 20 Jan 2025 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- US President Donald Trump arrives to announce reciprocal tariffs against US trading partners in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 02 April 2025. Trump has branded the day ‘Liberation Day’, though most economists expect US consumers to foot the costs Featuring: Donald J Trump Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 02 Apr 2025 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- US President Donald Trump arrives to announce reciprocal tariffs against US trading partners in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 02 April 2025. Trump has branded the day ‘Liberation Day’, though most economists expect US consumers to foot the costs Featuring: Donald J Trump Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 02 Apr 2025 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- US President Donald Trump arrives to announce reciprocal tariffs against US trading partners in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 02 April 2025. Trump has branded the day ‘Liberation Day’, though most economists expect US consumers to foot the costs Featuring: Donald J Trump Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 02 Apr 2025 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- Celebrities arrive at the 11th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony 2025 held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Los Angeles Featuring: Lauren Sanchez and boyfriend/American entrepreneur, business magnate, Founder and Executive chairman of Amazon Jeff Bezos Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 05 Apr 2025 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Loser
The Democrats should be all over this confirming to the American people that they are the ones paying the tariffs. I haven’t heard a word from any one of them SMH
Government is also not supposed to tell private businesses how to communicate with their customers. We are totally in an American style fascist state.
In the 1930s, oligarchs helped pave Hitler’s path to power. We have a historical precendent for those hoarding immense wealth to align their interests with fascists so this statement is quite ???: “The billionaire class supporting Trump remains one of the oddest parts of this whole fascist catastrophe”
It’s one of the most predictable parts!
Exactly. They were complicit with Hitler to protect their wealth. Bezos is following the same. The oligarchs are cowards when it comes to human rights.
Jeff Bezos tombstone will read:
I made a lot of money that could have changed the world for the better — instead I stuck my head up Donald Trumps Ass.
What an embarrassment he is to humanity.
🎯
I’m done with Bezos and Amazon, Target, Musk, Meta platforms and republicans. I boycott and donate to the democrats who fight back. All for one and one for all.
@JoanCallamezzo first off, I love your username!!!!!
What’s wrong with Target? I specifically shop there to avoid Walmart!! I thought Target was good!!
Of course he backed down. Coward. Pathetic.
Welp, glad I canceled Prime back in January. But people will have to pay the tariffs so I guess they will just jack up the prices? Can’t have people knowing that Thump is the reason stuff is unaffordable now, can we. And yes, Karoline Levitt is truly a spokesmoron for Trump, she’s worse than Kellyeanne Conway and her “alternative facts”.
Not labeling will only work for the morons who still defend DT. Everyone else will realize the reason they are paying more.
I don’t know. I’ve seen quite a few people on social media who are confused about why they are paying import taxes. I don’t think it’s just Trump supporters who don’t understand tariffs.
How plainly would it have to be stated on a retail website for them to get it then?
I am constantly amazed by how ignorant people are. That NYT panel discussion that went kind of viral yesterday was shocking.
@salmonpuff, do you have a link?
@bisynaptic Here’s a gift link: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/04/29/opinion/focusgroup-100-days-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Dk8.nfy7.qsEOPIIiq2wL&smid=url-share
What a coward – but hardly surprising from Bezos. It shows that the White House know exactly how hard these tariffs will be on Americans. However, I would not be surprised if sellers start to add the “Trump Tax” in their item description, explaining why their prices have suddenly increased for the U.S.
I quit Amazon months ago. Haven’t missed it. He’s a coward and and asshat.
Coward. The Trump Administration has been saying that the tariffs were a good thing so why are they upset that Amazon put the tariff charges on the receipt?
I wish I could post a screenshot of the email I got from Holabird Sports this morning (a sporting goods store). The subject line is “Tariff price hikes are coming” and the body of the email reads “Like these brands? Shop now before prices go up.” Trump is expecting these companies just to swallow it and not pass the price hike to consumers and companies are saying NO- consumers need to know this is not on us.
Honestly, people will start to see it for themselves when their $20 Amazon order suddenly costs them $55.
Also amusing to me is that the damage is done for Bezos. You know Trump can’t tolerate slights and the WH went so far as to call price transparency a hostile act, so my guess is Donny will make him pay for the disrespect.
Bezos knows where his bread is buttered.
These supposedly alpha males are always so beta. And if Bezos had a spine, he would have said to Trump that if the tariffs will actually lead to incredible wealth and prosperity as he claims, he should have no objection to listing them on customer receipts. Doesn’t he want consumers to know how wonderful he is?!
I see the 🤬 in my Amazon basket going up EVERYDAY…so Bezos being a 🤬🤬🤬 regarding the TRUTH of these 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 Trump tarrifs won’t change and thang!
Biden, Biden, Biden; deflect, deflect, deflect. What a bunch of third grade whiners in the Whiner House! They have no idea how ridiculous they are and how petty and vindictive they sound. Poor, poor Lawless and Disorder Party!
Bezos is an ass, but this idea is a nonstarter. It sounds like something an intern or an egotistic executive floated. I don’t know how they could actually execute it. The vendor would have to add a data point to every product? Not gonna happen. The platform does some math to present a truthy-ish number? That would require a huge amount of work plus it would never be accurate, and could very well violate vendor contracts. And Amazon can’t afford to piss off their vendors – that’s 2/3 of their business.
For those of us who do not live there: Americans are stocking up on all sorts of things they (think) they (will) need. They’re being warned about empty shelves and difficulty getting all sorts of stuff. And then the costs… my friends and family are so upset that people like Bezos, who are in a great position to make this administration miserable and hold truth to power, do nothing. Me too!
Yep. I just went to Costco yesterday to stock up. We also have front loaded a couple of big purchases in anticipation of the tariffs hitting/supply chain problems. But I know we can’t prepare for everything. We’re lucky enough to be able to cut back and absorb, but I really feel for those who will be hit hardest by this.
Trump’s idiot base won’t care even if Amazon did do this…I would say they are brainwashed but you need brains for that…that is why the Democrats can’t gain any traction…because first off these idiots wouldn’t pay attention and then if it did manage to filter into their tiny minds they would call it “fake news”. So we are basically screwed…
Bezos is such a cowardly suck up. Look at what he did with the Washington Post. All those billions and can’t buy a spine. Had he followed through, it would have been a powerful gesture and had a real policy impact on these destructive tariffs.
I really wish the media would ask Karoline Leavitt where those MAGA hats are made and if the price will be going up soon…
Once those tariffs go into effect, EVERYONE will know that the consumer in the US will be paying it.
I wish the tariffs on-tariffs off would stop. Haven’t the Oligarchs and politicians made enough money with stocks because of the pump and dumps, yet?