Elizabeth Warren Asks Jeff Bezos If Trump Threatened Retaliation Or Offered 'Favors' After Calling Him 'Very Nice' For Amazon's Reversal On Showing Tariff Fees

Sen. Elizabeth Warren pressed Amazon.com Inc. AMZN founder Jeff Bezos on Wednesday over the company's abrupt decision to scrap a feature that would have shown shoppers how much Trump-era tariffs add to prices.

What Happened: In a pointed letter, the Massachusetts Democrat asked whether a phone call from President Donald Trump, who reportedly fumed over the plan, led Bezos to pull the plug and, in return, secure "promises or favors." Warren warned that hiding tariff costs "keeps consumers in the dark" and could signal a corrupt quid pro quo between Big Tech and the White House.

Amazon denies any deal-making. Spokesperson Tim Doyle, in a statement shared with CNBC, said displaying tariffs "was never approved," adding the idea surfaced only for the China-to-U.S. Haul storefront before being shelved. Trump during a press briefing Tuesday afternoon, said, “Jeff Bezos is very nice. Terrific. He solved the problem very quickly. He did the right thing. Good guy.”

Warren wants details: What exactly was planned, when did Amazon reverse course, and did Trump threaten retaliation or dangle exemptions? She gave Bezos until May 13 to respond.

See also: Trump’s 145% China Tariffs Spark Seller Backlash As Amazon Prime Day 2025 Faces Pullouts And Discount Cuts: Report

Why It Matters: Warren isn’t the only one who found the Bezos-Trump exchange odd. Economist Peter Schiff blasted Trump for phoning Bezos to quash Amazon's plan to reveal tariff costs at checkout. Calling the move "the type of stuff you might expect to see in China," Schiff argued that consumers deserve to see the hidden taxes baked into prices and rejected the White House's claim that such transparency is "hostile and political."

Trump, who has slapped Chinese goods with tariffs as high as 145% and a 10% levy on other imports, praised Bezos for nixing the idea, saying the Amazon founder "solved the problem very quickly." Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs analysts warn that Trump's tariff regime could shave 6%–12% off Amazon's 2025 operating margins.

Price Action: Amazon stock closed at $184.42 on Wednesday, down 1.58% for the day. In pre-market trading, however, the stock is up to $191.70, by 3.95%. Year to date, Amazon shares have dropped 16.26%, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

Image via Shutterstock

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