Trump administration officers threw a hissy match on Tuesday over a report that Amazon deliberate to begin itemizing the impression of tariffs on particular person product costs. Their outrage was comprehensible in gentle of the harm tariffs are already inflicting on the financial 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 kind on Amazon value breakdowns, and in as many different locations as doable!
As a substitute, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed disclosing the impression of tariffs was “a hostile and political act by Amazon.”
Whereas Trump’s about-face deserves criticism, there’s one other one that bears scrutiny: Amazon founder and Washington Submit proprietor Jeff Bezos.
Like many different multibillionaires, Bezos has spent the previous few months kissing up to 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’ house firm Blue Origin.
A part of Bezos’ technique to win Trump’s coronary heart: castrating The Washington Submit, first by refusing to let the newspaper run a standard presidential endorsement (which might’ve gone to Kamala Harris), after which by neutering its total editorial board. These actions have bled the publication of readers and income as Bezos favors his daddy Trump over his prospects.
“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 alternative 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.
“I’m confident that free markets and personal liberties are right for America,” stated Bezos, whose thought of a free market consists of contributing $1 million to Trump’s inauguration festivities. “I also believe these viewpoints are underserved in the current market of ideas and news opinion. I’m excited for us together to fill that void.”
Ha ha! Sure, unfettered capitalism positive is difficult to seek out in at the moment’s media panorama.
However what’s so “free market” about tariffs? What does “freedom” imply if persons are not correctly knowledgeable?
If Bezos desires to dwell his supposed beliefs—beliefs which have severely broken one in every of our nation’s premier journalistic establishments—then he can show it by doing precisely what Trump fears most: letting individuals know the way tariffs are affecting the free market, and informing them of the factual penalties to allow them to correctly assess find out how to proceed. If shoppers love larger costs from tariffs as a lot as Trump appears to, then nice! The GOP can relaxation assured in the course of the 2026 midterm elections.
Associated | Trump praises Jeff Bezos for turning Washington Submit into MAGA media
But Republicans are clearly terrified on the prospect—and that features Trump. That’s why regardless of the entire president’s swooning over the phrase “tariffs,” Leavitt basically threatened Bezos from the White Home press room’s podium.
However that actually 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.”
Nicely, 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 impression and penalties of Trump’s dunderheaded tariffs.
The truth is, free market rules demand it.
