US President Donald Trump lauded Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as a “good guy” who “solved the problem very quickly” after reports surfaced that Amazon had considered displaying tariff costs on products. The controversy began on April 29, 2025, when Punchbowl News reported Amazon’s potential plan to show how Trump’s 145% tariffs on Chinese goods impacted product prices, particularly on its budget-friendly Amazon Haul platform. Trump personally called Bezos to express his displeasure, prompting Amazon to clarify within hours that the idea was “never approved” and would not be implemented on its main site.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned the reported plan as a “hostile and political act,” accusing Amazon of partnering with “Chinese propaganda arms” and questioning why the company did not highlight tariff impacts during the Biden administration’s high-inflation period. Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle emphasized that the proposal was merely a “considered idea” limited to Haul and was never intended for the main platform. He stated, “No changes have been made to any Amazon services,” and the plan was scrapped entirely following Trump’s intervention.