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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsReport: Trump Wants to Take Down Jeff Bezos
For the first time in Donald Trumps presidency, the West Wing soap opera appears to be in hiatus, with many of its starring characters (Gary Cohn, Hope Hicks) either permanently offstage or with much reduced roles (John Kelly, Jared Kushner). Currently, theres one stara situation Trump is obviously enjoyingand his new freedom is used to focus ever more closely on his perceived enemies and obsessions. Amazon, whose owner, Jeff Bezos, also owns The Washington Post, is currently the main target. Trump has ripped into Amazon in recent days, claiming in a series of tweets that Jeff Bezoss tech giant benefits from billions in subsidies from the U.S. Post office while skirting sales taxes. Unlike others, they pay little or no taxes to state & local governments, use our Postal System as their Delivery Boy (causing tremendous loss to the U.S.), and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business! Trump tweeted. On Monday, he wrote: Only fools, or worse, are saying that our money losing Post Office makes money with Amazon. THEY LOSE A FORTUNE, and this will be changed. Also, our fully tax paying retailers are closing stores all over the country . . . not a level playing field! The tweets caused Amazons stock to plunge 5 percent on Monday.
According to sources, Trump wants the Post Office to increase Amazons shipping costs. When Trump previously discussed the idea inside the White Hose, Gary Cohn had explained that Amazon is a benefit to the Postal Service, which has seen mail volume plummet in the age of e-mail. Trump doesnt have Gary Cohn breathing down his neck saying you cant do the Post Office shit, a Republican close to the White House said. He really wants the Post Office deal renegotiated. He thinks Amazons getting a huge fucking deal on shipping.
Advisers are also encouraging Trump to cancel Amazons pending multi-billion contract with the Pentagon to provide cloud computing services, sources say. Another line of attack would be to encourage attorneys general in red states to open investigations into Amazons business practices. Sources say Trump is open to the ideas. (The White House did not respond to a request for comment.)
Even Trumps allies acknowledge that much of whats fueling Trumps rage toward Amazon is that Amazon C.E.O. Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, sources said. Trump doesnt like The New York Times, but he reveres it because its his hometown paper. The Washington Post, he has zero respect for, the Republican close to the White House said. While the Post says that Bezos has no involvement in newsroom decisions, Trump has told advisers he believes Bezos uses the paper as a political weapon. One former White House official said Trump looks at the Post the same way he looks at the National Enquirer. When Bezos says he has no involvement, Trump doesnt believe him. His experience is with the David Peckers of the world. Whether its right or wrong, he knows it can be done.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/04/trump-war-with-amazon-and-the-washington-post-is-personal
cilla4progress
(24,736 posts)Iavelli
spanone
(135,841 posts)workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)Yet the damned republiKLANS and wall street too, remain silent as the POTUS tries to destroy one of the biggest companies in the country.
Bezos sucks but a president actively trying to take down a major American business is way beyond the pale!
How do you like your reTHUGlican president now capitalist piggies???
spanone
(135,841 posts)i suspect they are having a bit of buyers remorse
workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)KCCI Updated: 5:14 PM CDT Apr 2, 2018
Lauren Donovan
"We knew the retaliation would probably be something that hurts us here in the heartland, and we're kind of struggling right now anyway with the hog market and the prices that they are, he said.
Struthers, who purchased his land in Collins at the age of 17, said his pigs are worth $20 less per head due to the new Chinese pork tariffs.
"You can only survive for so long at a loss, he said. Then you'll have to do something drastic."
Gov. Kim Reynolds said Monday that she is willing to butt heads with the White House to protect Iowas hog industry.
"I don't agree with the president and I'm not afraid to step up, she said.
http://www.kcci.com/article/dream-house-of-the-week-10-things-i-hate-about-you/19634278
spanone
(135,841 posts)trueblue2007
(17,223 posts)HEY FOLKS, isnt Trump committing a crime by attacking AMAZON and causing the company to lose money ???
LOCK UP THIS PIECE OF CRAP !!! #impreachTrump and #LockHimUp
Eliot Rosewater
(31,112 posts)CrispyQ
(36,470 posts)Like so many things he's done, there aren't actual laws against what he's doing, only traditionlike not showing his tax returns. The problem with tradition is that it depends on the individual having decency & this vulgar man lacks that. But remember this is the REAL problem:
THIS IS WHY THE MIDTERMS ARE SO IMPORTANT. EVERY Republican Representative will be up for reelection.
BannonsLiver
(16,387 posts)Right about now Im figuring out just how much business and political ratfucking my billions can buy.
Stonepounder
(4,033 posts)We buy a LOT of stuff from Amazon. We appreciate the speedy delivery, the lower prices, and the convenience of getting stuff delivered to our door. Yeah, I know that some of his business practices are a little iffy, but Amazon sure as Hell isn't someone like Monsanto or DuPont. And their Customer Service is awesome.
On edit: we also try and shop at local Mom & Pop stores in the neighborhood.
trueblue2007
(17,223 posts)got great deals and i get free shipping with amazon prime
Cha
(297,275 posts)they must be doing their fucking job.. in the trump age of calling every media "Fake news" that isn't fucking fuxnooze.
Oh, like fucking fox uses their shite broadcast as a political weapon?
trump is a fucking fascist pos.. anyone notice?
C_U_L8R
(45,002 posts)Trump is breaking so many laws... if he doesn't end up in jail, at least he'll be sued into the dirt.
Demsrule86
(68,582 posts)madaboutharry
(40,212 posts)thewhollytoast
(318 posts)Taking on Jeff Bezos is monumentally stupid. Jeff Bezos has more power in his little finger than Trumpling has in his whole stinky body. I think Maybe he's trying to build up his street cred so he won't get beat up as much when he goes to prison.
Toast
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)that he is out of his league in every way. He's starting to let power go to his head and he thinks he is invincible. Eventually that reckless arrogance will be the very thing that brings him down.
LastLiberal in PalmSprings
(12,586 posts)I don't understand this sentence. Trump and the National Enquirer's publisher, David Pecker, have been friends for a long time. Pecker has stepped in a number of times to protect Trump; in return IQ45 has used his influence as president to help Pecker in his business interests.
Volaris
(10,271 posts)His exp. therefore, tells him that if you OWN a newspaper, you get to decide what that paper prints. Egro, if Bezos didn't want the WP to print all those nasty, nasty lies about the president (which probably happen to be all true..that's the difference between a newspaper and a tabloid rag), it wouldn't be happening. The conclusion is that Jeff must be wanting it to happen.
Jeff must therefore be destroyed, and trump thinks he can leverage the power of his office to hurt Jeff in the only place trump himself would care about...His bottom line.
The takeaway is that we have a pResident who doesn't give a fuck that that's illegal as hell. The above poster is correct: if Obama had said this publicly, he would have been impeached, convicted, and then sued so badly for civil damages that his grandchildren would broke.
LastLiberal in PalmSprings
(12,586 posts)"Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel." -- Mark Twain
Demsrule86
(68,582 posts)syringis
(5,101 posts)Trump to WaPo : you're fake news !
WaPo to Trump : well, you're f*ck news !
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)they sent a warning this afternoon,lay off Amazon.
Trump is messing where he has no clue as to what will happen to the Trump Crime Family Holdings.
Buns_of_Fire
(17,180 posts)Who buys Rump Wine or Rump Steaks or Rump Water or Rump Do-It-Yourself Lobotomy Kits?
Maybe he could team up with Black Flag and have them rename "Roach Motels" to "Trump Motels".
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,002 posts)teamster633
(2,029 posts)No other entity, public of private, comes close to bearing that type of burden. Add to it, the fact that the Post Office has to ask permission to raise rates to meet costs, again, unlike any other entity, public or private, and the real mystery is how the Post Office manages to run at all.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Maybe they were busy saving the country from financial hell. But if we regain control in November, the 75 year prepay must be renegotiated. We need the Post Office.
On Amazon, I read somewhere, maybe here? Bezos is working on his own logistics system that will rival the USPS, FEDEX and UPS and allow Amazon to deliver it's own stuff shipping depot to customer. If that happens, the Post Office is in trouble. Amazon can undercut shippers rates because it's primary reason for running the logistics business will not be profit making from it, though I doubt Bezos will take a loss on logistics, the primary reason will be to extend Amazon's reach in all manner of retail businesses.
MFM008
(19,814 posts)In 5........4..........3..................
nolabels
(13,133 posts)I am betting somebody has poked the wrong animal with a stick. I am not a protagonist for many a billionaire but fighting a common foe often brings understandings on how the bread is buttered. More people than be it known may have a dog in this fight.
Hassler
(3,379 posts)Amazon has gutted the shopping mall business model that Fredo and his cronies are in. Amazon has cost him $400M.
Beartracks
(12,814 posts)... losing money (e.g. bankruptcies) seems to be one of Trump's most reliable skills.
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The empressof all
(29,098 posts)Just sayin..... Probably not good choice for the American economy...but Trump should know...Business is business. What's 50,000 jobs worth to our economy...Not much to Trump...
bigbrother05
(5,995 posts)"Trump Pokes - Amazon Picks!"
eta: As a recent candidate once proclaimed "That makes me smart" when asked about his tax avoidance
Beartracks
(12,814 posts)Because Trump would if he owned it.
Such projection is par for the course for Republicans.
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IronLionZion
(45,447 posts)This is complete insanity.
Why does a big powerful president care what one newspaper prints about him when he has all of RW hate radio and Fox News and the RW blogs promoting him loyally as if he's the American Putin?
This makes me support WaPo even more.
RandomAccess
(5,210 posts)Demsrule86
(68,582 posts)destruction for personal gain and revenge. No one should support this. It is an abuse of power. Bezos should sue the piss out of Trump.
MariaCSR
(642 posts)It's frightening.
Demsrule86
(68,582 posts)DeminPennswoods
(15,286 posts)nt
Demsrule86
(68,582 posts)Demsrule86
(68,582 posts)DeminPennswoods
(15,286 posts)of his enemies. And, he authorized the FBI's COINTELPRO operation.
Demsrule86
(68,582 posts)I was not aware of this by the way. Thanks for the info.
blake2012
(1,294 posts)Now, Trump has been getting rid of people who can place a bit more control on his crazy rantings and ridiculous actions, but I suspect he'll continue to fire and otherwise drive away cabinet level personnel and many more beneath them.