Tuesday, April 29, 2025

NON-STORY OF THE DAY: Karoline Leavitt's Angry New Attack on Amazon Reveals Trump's Weakness


 

Karoline Leavitt's Angry New Attack on Amazon Reveals Trump's Weakness

Update: Amazon Denies Report that ‘Tariff Cost’ Will Be Shown Next to Product Prices

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos attends the state dinner for Japane in the East Room of the White Ho
Chip Somodevilla/Getty

The price of products Amazon Inc. displays in its online store may soon include the listed price and how much was added to the value due to President Donald Trump’s tariff impositions.

Punchbowl News reported on Tuesday that, according to a source familiar with the matter, the e-commerce giant will start showing the figure added to the value because of the duties right alongside a product’s total price.
  • The move is reportedly an effort by Amazon to inform customers cost rises have nothing to do with it and everything to do with the Trump White House.
Response to the reported move has been fast and to the point, with diplomat Richard Grenell for one keen for other measures to be taken, noting the sheer volume of produce Amazon shifts from producers in China.
  • White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also slammed Amazon’s plan as a “hostile and political act” on Tuesday.
“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.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt joined by U.S. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, holds a news article on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos that reads “Amazon partnered with China propaganda arm” during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 29, 2025. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP )

Shares of the online retail giant founded by Jeff Bezos dropped more than two percent in premarket trading following the remarks, CNBC reports.
  1. The outlet also notes China-based fast fashion giants Shein and Temu have both added massive surcharges in recent days.
  2.  Temu now reportedly includes a line on its checkout tally showing an “import charge” that adds around 145 percent for each item.
UPDATE:
Since the original story appeared in Punchbowl News, Amazon has seen fit to issue a response denying it ever considered such a proposition:
Follow Simon Kent on Twitter:  or e-mail to: skent@breitbart.com
US News LIVE | Leavitt Rips Amazon’s ‘Hostile Power Play’ In Explosive  Tariff Clash
Uploaded: Apr 29, 2025
In a fiery exchange at the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted Amazon’s plan to display
 

Amazon backs off of listing tariff prices after White House labeled it 'hostile and political' act


By Chris Benson
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held a press briefing on Tuesday at the White House in Washington, DC. Leavitt claimed that Amazon listing price spikes on products via U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff plan was "a hostile and political act" by Amazon. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI 


April 29 (UPI) -- Amazon said it will not display the cost of tariffs on its products after the White House responded to a report about the potential practice by calling it a "hostile and political" act.
  • The reported plan by Amazon came as Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on scores of U.S. trading partners, and 145% tariffs on some products from China in a softened stance on some tech and auto products.
  • But Amazon said the idea was "never approved" and "is not going to happen."
  • "Teams discuss ideas all the time," Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle wrote in a statement.

Economists and business leaders predict that Trump's tariff policies are inflationary and that the cost will ultimately be passed down to American consumers by way of higher prices.

According to Doyle, the Amazon team that runs its ultra-low cost Amazon Haul store allegedly "considered" the idea of listing import charges on "certain products."

In the press briefing, Leavitt cited and held up a copy of a 2021 report that showed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos which purported ties with a so-called "Chinese propaganda arm" that alleged Amazon complied with a Chinese government order preventing customers from rating President Xi Jinping's government-published book.

  • Leavitt said it was "another why Americans should buy American."However, Leavitt said she would "not speak to the president's relationships with Jeff Bezos."
  • Bezos, owner of The Washington Post, caught fire in October when he forced the legacy news outlet to not endorse a presidential candidate for the first time in early 40 years in the race between Trump and then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
  • Bezos later donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund and was prominently seated behind the newly-elected Trump at his January 20 inauguration along with other tech executives like Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and White House adviser Elon Musk.

"This was never a consideration for the main Amazon site and nothing has been implemented on any Amazon properties," company officials said.

Also on Tuesday, Bessent said at the press briefing that 18 nations had offered a possible trade proposal with the United States and that administration officials will meet with foreign leaders in coming weeks, citing possible progress with India, South Korea and Japan.

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