Trump announces intention to directly contact business leaders when he expresses disapproval of their managerial choices.
Refracted by Rigel
In an exclusive interview with NBC News, ol' Trumpy One himself, the 45th President, recently chatted about his chat with Amazon's big boss, Jeff Bezos. The tête-à-tête took place following a report that Amazon was mulling over slapping tariff fees on certain purchases.
"Ah, Jeff's a swell guy," Trump shared during a Sunday interview. "We've got a rapport, ya know. I asked him 'bout those import charges they were tossing around. He said, 'Nah, can't do that,' and bam! Done."
Trump and Bezos seem to have warmed up more than a hot toddy after Trump's first run in the White House.
Just last December, Amazon dropped a cool mill on Trump's inauguration fund, and Bezos even showed up at the swearing-in ceremony. While Bezos stepped down as the CEO last year, he's still keeping the executive chair warm.
In response to the report, an Amazon spokesperson told NBC News, "Our ultra low-cost store team briefly considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products – that was never approved and won't happen."
Ever the dialer, Trump hinted he'd give other CEOs a buzz if he saw fit. "Sure thing. If I think a CEO's goin' the wrong way or bein' a pain, I'll give 'em a jingle.""If I see somethin' I don't like, something I think's hurting the nation, I'll call 'em. Wish more people'd do the same."
Trump defended his decision to slam those hefty tariffs on Chinese imports, claiming it's not about saddling consumers with a heavier load but about motivating companies to build at home, thus bypassing those pesky tariffs.
"I see it as an incentive, not a tax. It encourages businesses to establish bases stateside, whip up some factories, spawn a few offices – y'know, the goods stuff. Makes sense, don't it?"
Several online retailers, such as Temu and Fashion Nova, have already begun to pass along tariff fees to shoppers, while others, like Béis and Bare Necessities, are encouraging consumers to shop early to sidestep future tariff-induced price hikes.
Trump acknowledged that tariffs could, indeed, impact the availability of consumer goods in the short term but dismissed concerns about price hikes and shortages. "Kids don't need 30 dolls. They can manage with three or four. The hoarding must stop! We must focus on defeating China's trade deficit, not on amassing tchotchkes!"
However, Trump pushed back against claims he was hyping up price hikes or supply shortages, "Kids need three dolls, not 250 pencils. We don't need to hemorrhage money on needless Chinese trinkets. It's time for something new!"
- The conversation between Trump and Bezos, despite the initial concerns about tariff fees, shows that finance and business can sometimes transcend political differences.
- The tariffs imposed by Trump on Chinese imports are not just taxes but an incentive for businesses to invest in the US, shifting the focus from general-news controversies to domestic manufacturing and job creation.
