Amazon has denied reports that it planned to display the added costs of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on product listings, pushing back after the White House blasted the rumored move as politically motivated.
In a statement to Fox Business on Tuesday, an Amazon spokesperson clarified that while the idea had been floated internally by a team managing the company’s ultra low-cost “Amazon Haul” store, it was never approved.
“This was never approved and is not going to happen,” the spokesperson said.
The denial followed a Punchbowl News report claiming that Amazon would begin showing how much of a product’s price was attributable to tariffs imposed under Trump’s economic policies. The report caused a stir in Washington, prompting swift condemnation from the White House.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the issue during a briefing alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, calling the move “a hostile and political act.”
“Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” Leavitt asked.
Leavitt also referenced a 2021 Reuters article which claimed Amazon had complied with censorship requests from the Chinese government, including disabling customer reviews on certain political books sold in China. Holding up a printout of the article, Leavitt said the company’s actions raised serious concerns about its alignment with American interests.
“This is another reason why Americans should buy American,” she added, “and why we are committed to onshoring critical supply chains and strengthening U.S. manufacturing.”
When asked if Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder and owner of The Washington Post, still supported President Trump, Leavitt declined to comment on their relationship.
“I will not speak to the president’s relationship with Jeff Bezos, but I will tell you that this is certainly a hostile and political action by Amazon,” she reiterated.
Sources confirmed to Fox News that President Trump personally called Bezos on Tuesday morning to voice his displeasure with the rumored feature, despite Bezos not currently holding an operational role at Amazon.
Ironically, Trump and Bezos appear to be on friendlier terms in the president’s second term. In recent interviews, Trump has praised Bezos, calling him “a good guy” and expressing optimism about their working relationship.
“I didn’t really know him in the first term,” Trump said in an interview with OutKick’s Clay Travis last month. “It’s such a difference between now and the first time.”
Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, recently initiated a shake-up of the paper’s opinion section — a move that has reportedly stirred internal dissent but earned praise from President Trump.
“He’s 100 percent. He’s been great,” Trump told The Atlantic earlier this week when asked about Bezos.
While Amazon’s denial may tamp down immediate controversy, the incident highlights lingering tensions between the tech giant and the Trump administration as the White House leans further into its economic nationalism agenda.