Trump says he'll call CEOs when he disagrees with their business decisions

Trump on Friday reflected on his phone call earlier in the week with Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos saying he’d use the same tactic with CEOs of other major retailers if they raise prices due to tariffs

President Donald Trump on Friday reflected on his phone call earlier in the week with Amazon founder and Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos, telling NBC News’ “Meet the Press” in an interview that he’d use the same tactic with other CEOs if necessary. 

The call occurred after Punchbowl News reported that the Amazon was going to begin to list tariff charges on certain Amazon purchases in the wake of the Trump administration's decision to impose 145% tariffs on China.

"He’s just a very nice guy," Trump said of Bezos in an interview that aired Sunday. "We have a relationship. I asked him about [the tariff charge language Amazon considered including in listings]. He said, 'Well, I don’t want to do that,' and he took it off immediately."

Trump and Bezos appear to have developed a closer relationship in the last few months than they had during Trump’s first administration.

In December, Amazon donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, and Bezos attended his swearing-in ceremony. Bezos stepped down as the company's CEO in 2021, but he is still its executive chairman.