Amazon Backtracks on Tariff Transparency After Trump Call — Another Billionaire Bends the Knee.
In yet another dramatic episode that underscores the growing influence of President Donald Trump over the corporate elite, Amazon has walked back a reported plan to display the cost of new trade tariffs to its customers — following a direct call from the president to founder Jeff Bezos.
The idea, originally linked to Amazon Haul — a low-cost shopping platform aimed at rivals Shein and Temu — would have detailed how Trump’s aggressive import duties are impacting prices. But the company now insists the move was never approved and is officially off the table.
Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle acknowledged that the idea had been floated internally but clarified, “This was never approved and is not going to happen.”
The reported plan, first broken by Punchbowl News, came as import taxes imposed by the Trump administration begin to bite. With tariffs on Chinese goods soaring to at least 145%, concerns are mounting over rising prices and disrupted supply chains — from baby products to umbrellas. Merchants operating on thin margins are already passing costs on to consumers, with Shein and Temu both announcing price hikes.
But instead of standing by transparency for its customers, Amazon has now retreated.
At a press briefing marking Trump’s first 100 days back in office, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Amazon of politicizing trade, saying, “This is a hostile and political act by Amazon. Why didn't Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?”
Moments later, Trump himself revealed he had spoken directly to Bezos, a figure he once feuded with publicly. “Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific. He solved the problem very quickly. He did the right thing. He's a good guy,” Trump told reporters, presenting the interaction as a personal triumph.
The call reflects a stunning about-face in the historically strained relationship between the two men. Bezos, who owns The Washington Post, has previously criticized Trump’s rhetoric as dangerous to democracy, even joking in 2016 about launching him into space. Amazon once sued the Pentagon, alleging Trump interfered in a $10 billion contract out of personal vendetta against Bezos.
Now, with Trump back in power and wielding pressure over both policy and corporate behavior, the billionaire appears to have chosen appeasement. Amazon, notably, donated to Trump’s inauguration, and Bezos received a seat of honor.
The reversal is the latest in a series of corporate capitulations to the president’s pressure tactics — a trend that is becoming deeply troubling.
Conclusion - A Worrying Trend
Amazon’s retreat is not just about tariffs or transparency — it’s a symptom of something far more dangerous. As big tech billionaires like Bezos fold under Trump’s influence, it raises urgent questions about the erosion of corporate independence and democratic resistance.
When power is consolidated through intimidation and fear, we risk becoming a nation where dissent is punished and submission rewarded. The United States is drifting toward authoritarianism, and each time a titan bows to Trump, that drift accelerates. This is not leadership — it’s coercion cloaked in praise.
