# Senator Warren Questions Bezos on Potential “Tariff-Related Corruption” After Trump Conversation

## Senator Warren Questions Bezos on Potential “Tariff-Related Corruption” After Trump Conversation

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is digging into a potential quid pro quo between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former President Donald Trump, following reports that Amazon scrapped plans to display tariff costs to its customers. In a letter sent to Bezos on Wednesday, Warren directly asks whether the tech mogul received any “promises or favors” in exchange for what she terms his “subservience” to Trump.

The investigation stems from an incident earlier this week where Trump reportedly called Bezos to complain about a planned Amazon feature. According to a *Punchbowl News* report, Amazon had considered showcasing the individual tariff costs alongside product prices, potentially revealing the direct impact of Trump’s trade policies on consumers. However, Amazon later issued a statement retracting the plan, stating they had only “considered” displaying the fees on their Haul store, which ships directly from China, and ultimately decided against it.

Following Amazon’s reversal, Trump publicly praised Bezos as “very nice” for “solv[ing] the problem very quickly,” as reported by *The New York Times*. This sequence of events has raised red flags for Warren, who sees it as a potentially troubling example of “Big Tech working together with President Trump to seek special favors or support his policies.”

Warren’s letter criticizes Amazon’s decision not to provide transparency on tariff costs, arguing that it would have offered consumers valuable insight into the “true costs of President Trump’s broad and chaotic tariff policies.”

The senator’s inquiry demands detailed information about Amazon’s internal discussions regarding tariff display before and after Bezos’ conversation with Trump. She specifically asks whether Trump threatened Bezos with “adverse policy consequences” if Amazon proceeded with its original plan, and conversely, if the former president offered any concessions or tariff exemptions in exchange for reversing course.

This isn’t the first time Warren has probed potential conflicts of interest between tech executives and the Trump administration. She previously sent a similar letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook after Trump announced tariff exemptions for smartphones and other electronics.

Warren’s letter to Bezos emphasizes the potential for “tariff-related corruption” and underscores her commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in the relationship between powerful tech companies and government officials. The outcome of her inquiry could shed light on the extent to which political influence shaped Amazon’s business decisions during the Trump presidency.