Picture a White House press conference. A conservative journalist mentions a rumor that Amazon might display tariff surcharges online. Before tariff evangelist Scott Bessent has a chance to speak, the press secretary lunges in front of him. She launches into a breathless rant about Joe Biden and Amazon’s disloyalty, complete with a printed-out news article which apparently proves Amazon is in bed with China. No one knows what we’re supposed to take away from this, but the message to Amazon is very clear: Shut up, or else.
This all went down April 29. If you think this was a panicky overreaction, you’re right. Amazon, a fundamentally cautious company, was not going to pick a fight with the president. But even the rumor was enough to rev up the damage control.
If tariffs are so great, and they’ll make us so rich, and everyone is making such great deals with us, why can’t we see the receipts? The obvious answer is the White House knows that they aren’t so great, that they’re going to cause a lot more “short-term pain” than “long-term gain,” and that they’ll make us less rich and less respected than we were before.
Daniel Kline
Delmont