Trump administration officers threw a hissy match on Tuesday over a report that Amazon deliberate to start out itemizing the influence of tariffs on particular person product costs. Their outrage was comprehensible in mild of the injury tariffs are already inflicting on the economic system—but additionally ironic, given how President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that “tariff” is “the most beautiful word in the dictionary.” He ought to need the phrase listed in daring sort on Amazon worth breakdowns, and in as many different locations as attainable!
As a substitute, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed disclosing the influence of tariffs was “a hostile and political act by Amazon.”
Whereas Trump’s about-face deserves criticism, there’s one other one who bears scrutiny: Amazon founder and Washington Publish proprietor Jeff Bezos.
Like many different multibillionaires, Bezos has spent the previous few months kissing as much as the White Home’s new occupant, hoping his obsequiousness will stave off assaults like those Trump launched towards Amazon throughout his first time period as president—and safe extra billion-dollar authorities contracts for Bezos’ area firm Blue Origin.
“We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets. We’ll cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others,” Bezos wrote on X.
His selection of social media platform was no coincidence, as that’s the place the most important sycophants curry favor with Trump and his co-President Elon Musk.
Ha ha! Sure, unfettered capitalism positive is difficult to search out in as we speak’s media panorama.
However what’s so “free market” about tariffs? What does “freedom” imply if persons are not correctly knowledgeable?
If Bezos needs to dwell his supposed beliefs—beliefs which have severely broken certainly one of our nation’s premier journalistic establishments—then he can show it by doing precisely what Trump fears most: letting folks understand how tariffs are affecting the free market, and informing them of the factual penalties to allow them to correctly assess how you can proceed. If customers love increased costs from tariffs as a lot as Trump appears to, then nice! The GOP can relaxation assured throughout the 2026 midterm elections.
Associated | Trump praises Jeff Bezos for turning Washington Publish into MAGA media
But Republicans are clearly terrified on the prospect—and that features Trump. That’s why regardless of all the president’s swooning over the phrase “tariffs,” Leavitt basically threatened Bezos from the White Home press room’s podium.
However that definitely shouldn’t matter, as Bezos has informed us he’s not afraid of any retribution.
“You can see my wealth and business interests as a bulwark against intimidation, or you can see them as a web of conflicting interests,” he wrote when justifying his paper’s nonendorsement. “Only my own principles can tip the balance from one to the other. I assure you that my views here are, in fact, principled, and I believe my track record as owner of The Post since 2013 backs this up. You are of course free to make your own determination, but I challenge you to find one instance in those 11 years where I have prevailed upon anyone at The Post in favor of my own interests. It hasn’t happened.”
Effectively, it appears to be occurring now.
He can show in any other case to everybody by doing what Trump fears probably the most: clearly present the 230 million individuals who purchase from Amazon the influence and penalties of Trump’s dunderheaded tariffs.
Actually, free market ideas demand it.
Marketing campaign Motion
