White House condemns Amazon over tariff report: ‘A political and hostile act’

The White House has accused Amazon of "hostile and political act" over its supposed plan to show the cost of President Donald Trump's tariffs alongside the price of its products on the website. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the decision a "hostile and political act," and asked why Amazon did not take the same action when inflation was high during the Biden administration.

This criticism came after a Punchbowl News report revealed that Amazon plans to show consumers how much of an item's priceis influenced by tariffs, sparking tensions between the company and the Trump administration.

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White House is against of Amazon's tariff report

On Tuesday, the White House condemned Amazon for an alleged intention to show the price of President Donald Trump's tariffs next to the overall price of products on its site.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called it "a hostile and political act by Amazon," adding, "Why didn't Amazon do this when the Biden administration pushed inflation to the highest level in 40 years?" She said, "This is another reason why Americans should buy American-made products."

After Leavitt's comments, shares of Amazon, the online retail behemoth founded by Jeff Bezos, fell more than 2% in premarket trading.

CNBC tried to contact Amazon, but the company didn't provide any comments.

The administration's stern reaction followed earlier in the day when Punchbowl News, a site focused on news about Congress and the White House, reported that Amazon will show customers, beside the price of the item, what portion of the price was due in part to tariffs authorized by Congress. The source, familiar with the plan, said the tariff-related portion would be shown directly, against the listed price for the product.

During a press briefing, a reporter asked both Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent whether they would agree that Amazon’s calculation demonstrates that it’s American consumers, rather than China, that are bearing the cost of these measures. Leavitt answered, saying she had just spoken to the president, about Amazon's announcement.

Amazon is not the only retailer on the record issuing a warning about the effects of tariffs on pricing. China-based fast fashion brands Shein and Temu just imposed hefty fees, including Temu imposing an "import charge" of close to 145% on every item upon check-out.

There should be a nostalgic view Leavitt's comments are indicative of an even deeper divide between Trump and Bezos, who has been courting the elephant in the room of Republicanism ever since Trump was re-elected in 20224.

Not so long ago, Bezos publicly embraced the notion of Trump's second term in December, expressing it was his belief Trump was seemingly more mellow and self-confident. The same month, Amazon also donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund.

Bezos also faced accusations of trying to align with Trump when he ordered the Washington Post, which he owns, to limit its option section to articles defending "personal liberties and free markets".

After delivering her statement, Leavitt was asked whether Bezos is still a supporter of Trump. "Look, I won't speak to the president's relationships with Jeff Bezos, but I will say that this is certainly a hostile and political action by Amazon", she responded.