Did Fuming Donald Trump threaten you and ..., asks Elizabeth Warren in letter to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos

Senator Elizabeth Warren has sent a letter to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, raising concerns about reports that the e-commerce giant dropped a plan to show customers the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs after a personal call between Trump and Bezos. According to reports, Amazon had been preparing to display how much of an item's cost was linked to tariffs imposed during Trump’s presidency. However, before the plan was implemented, Trump reportedly called Bezos, expressed his anger, and soon after, the plan was reversed.
The US President later praised Bezos, saying, “Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific… He solved the problem very quickly. Good guy.”

In her letter, Warren asked whether Trump threatened Bezos with policy actions against Amazon. She also questioned if Trump offered any promises or concessions in exchange for Amazon's decision to abandon the plan.
Warren pointed out that providing tariff cost information would have given consumers a better understanding of the real impact of Trump's tariff policies. She raised concerns about potential corruption and backroom deals between Big Tech and the Trump administration, noting this is part of a broader pattern she is investigating.
The Senator also asked Bezos to answer a series of detailed questions by May 13, 2025, including the specifics of his conversation with Trump, whether any threats or promises were made, and how Amazon’s decision affects consumer transparency on price hikes.
This inquiry follows Warren’s similar letters to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as she examines possible preferential treatment for major corporations during the rollout of Trump’s tariff policies.

Dear Mr. Bezos
I write to seek clarity on reports that Amazon considered a plan to show customers the cost ofPresident Trump’s tariffs – only to reverse course after a personal conversation between you and thePresident. These reports raise questions about the nature of your conversations with President Trump,and what promises or favors you may have received in exchange for your subservience to him.
According to a report from yesterday morning, Amazon was planning to “show how much[President] Trump’s tariffs are adding to the price of each product” by “displaying how much of an item's cost is derived from tariffs.” However, before the company could put this plan into place, a“pissed” President Trump reportedly called you and asked you to intervene – and then the plan was reversed.
Amazon has denied portions of this story, but did indicate that the plan was in place at least for theAmazon Haul website. And President Trump confirmed your role in the decision not to provide transparency on tariff costs, indicating that “Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific… He solved the problem very quickly. Good guy.
"If Amazon had followed through on any plans to provide transparency on tariff costs, it could have provided important information for consumers, allowing them to find out for themselves some of the true costs of President Trump’s broad and chaotic tariff policies. And it could have helped provide clarity on the true reasons for cost increases facing consumers, allowing them to determine if the tariffs directly increased costs or merely provided big corporations with an excuse to raise prices higher than necessary. Instead, the true costs of President Trump’s policies may remain hidden from your customers.
Amazon, one of the nation’s largest retailers, has a significant stake in the outcome of President Trump’s tariffs. And yesterday’s activity appears to be another example of Big Tech working together with President Trump to seek special favors or support his policies in what can appear to be a quid pro quo. My concerns about the potential for tariff-related corruption to benefit Big Tech firms– who provided millions in donations to the Trump inaugural committee – and other insiders as the President rolls out, reverses, and modifies his policies have become more acute with each passing day. Last week, I wrote to Apple CEO Tim Cook to learn more about his personal interventions that resulted in the president exempting certain Apple products from tariffs that would have severely impacted his company. And I wrote to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on April 25 about reports that he was providing Wall Street insiders with exclusive information on tariff policies, providing them with market-moving information that was unavailable to small businesses and ordinary investors. And yesterday’s report indicated that you have now personally become involved in key decisions about what consumers can learn about the true cost of tariffs.
Given my ongoing concerns about the potential for corruption related to President Trump’s tariffs, I ask that you provide answers to the following questions by no later than May 13, 2025.
1) What plan was Amazon considering regarding providing information on tariffs to consumers prior to President Trump’s phone call with you on April 29, 2025?
2) When did Amazon reverse course on these plans? Was it after the President’s phone call with you?
3) What was the nature of your conversation with the President?
4) Did President Trump threaten you with adverse policy consequences for Amazon if you provided consumers with information on the true cost of his tariffs?
5) Did President Trump make any promises to you regarding concessions on or exemptions from tariffs if you reversed your initial plan to provide consumers with this tariff cost information?
6) Did President Trump provide any other information to you with regard to tariff exemptions, tariff agreements with other countries, or other plans for tariffs?
7) Did you have discussions about Amazon’s plans to provide tariff cost transparency with otherTrump administration officials? If so, what was the nature of these discussions?
8) Does Amazon’s decision to give customers less transparency about price hikes mean those price hikes will somehow not impact consumers?
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Warren
United States Senator