‘Hostile’: White House Sounds Off After Amazon Says It Will Display Tariff Costs For Consumers

Amazon will begin displaying the cost that President Donald Trump’s tariffs are adding to the price of products, according to Punchbowl News, irking the Trump administration, which on Tuesday described Amazon’s move as “hostile and political.”

Punchbowl News reported that the massive e-commerce company will show the cost that tariffs add to each product next to the total price. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted Amazon during a press briefing on Tuesday morning, saying she “just got off the phone with the president,” who discussed Amazon’s decision.

“This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,” Leavitt said. “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?”

She added that Amazon’s decision is “not a surprise,” pointing to a 2021 Reuters report about the tech and e-commerce giant partnering with a Chinese propaganda arm and complying with some of communist China’s wishes for the website.

“This is another reason why Americans should buy American. It’s another reason why we are onshoring critical supply chains here at home to shore up our own critical supply chain and boost our own manufacturing,” Leavitt said.

.@PressSec reacts to Amazon's announcement on tariffs: "This is a hostile and political act by Amazon… It's not a surprise because, as Reuters recently wrote, Amazon has partnered with a Chinese propaganda arm… This is another reason Americans should buy American." pic.twitter.com/jtXZYfR8rH

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 29, 2025

Amazon’s move comes as some economists express concerns that the president’s tariffs on China will mostly hurt American consumers. More than 70% of Amazon’s products are sourced in China and subject to Trump’s 145% tariff on the country. The president hinted at an end to the escalating trade war with China soon, saying last week that the tariff on China “will come down substantially, but it won’t be zero.” China has retaliated with a 125% tariff on American goods.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has grown warmer toward Trump in recent months. After Trump’s election victory, Bezos dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and Amazon donated $1 million to the president’s inauguration. Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, has also been hit by the Left for dialing back the newspaper’s opinion section and reportedly urging the Post to hire more conservative columnists.