Jeff Bezos clashed with US President Joe Biden’s administration on Twitter about the cost of gasoline to American consumers.
Mr. Biden tweeted this weekend that “this is a time of war and global peril” and that the companies that operate gas stations were acting out of greed.
“Reduce the price you are charging the pump to reflect the cost you are paying for the product. And do it now,” he wrote, as inflation in the US hit a 40-year high.
But his comment drew criticism Amazon founder Mr. Bezoswhich has repeatedly accused the Biden administration of confusing measures to tackle inflation and raise corporate tax.
“Ouch,” wrote the billionaire. “Inflation is too important a problem for the White House to continue making claims like this. Either it is a direct misdirection or a profound misunderstanding of underlying market dynamics.”
Bezos has repeatedly used Twitter to criticize the White House’s approach to rampant inflation in recent months, something the US leader has mainly attributed to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Since stepping down as Amazon CEO, Bezos has been a frequent user of the platform. In May, he accused the president of misleading public opinion about inflation.
His comments sparked unusually personal criticism in which a White House spokesperson accused the billionaire of attempting to undermine unions and protect his own wealth.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates said, “It doesn’t take a big leap to understand why one of the richest individuals on Earth opposes a middle-class economic agenda that cuts down on some of the biggest costs families face. .. asking the taxpayers and the wealthiest corporations to pay their fair share.
“It is also not surprising that this tweet comes after the president met with job organizers, including Amazon employees.”
In an equally personal response this weekend, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “Oil prices have fallen by around $ 15 (£ 12) in the past month, but pump prices have just gone down. .
“This is not ‘core market dynamics’. It is a market that is disappointing the American consumer,” he wrote.
“But I guess it’s not surprising that you think oil and gas companies that use market power to reap record profits at the expense of the American people is the way our economy is supposed to work.”
