Amazon founder Jeff Bezos slammed the Biden administration on Monday for the third time in less than a week after the White House tried to distract from Bezos’ comments about inflation.
The statement from the administration comes after Bezos twice called out Democrat President Joe Biden last week for trying to use “misdirection” to displace blame for skyrocketing inflation rates.
“It doesn’t require a huge leap to figure out why one of the wealthiest individuals on Earth opposes an economic agenda for the middle class that cuts some of the biggest costs families face, fights inflation for the long haul, and adds to the historic deficit reduction the President is achieving by asking the richest taxpayers and corporations to pay their fair share,” the White House claimed in a statement. “It’s also unsurprising that this tweet comes after the President met with labor organizers, including Amazon employees.”
“Look, a squirrel!” Bezos fired back, adding that administration officials “understandably want to muddy the topic.”
“They know inflation hurts the neediest the most,” Bezos continued. “But unions aren’t causing inflation and neither are wealthy people. Remember the Administration tried their best to add another $3.5 TRILLION to federal spending. They failed, but if they had succeeded, inflation would be even higher than it is today, and inflation today is at a 40 year high.”
their best to add another $3.5 TRILLION to federal spending. They failed, but if they had succeeded, inflation would be even higher than it is today, and inflation today is at a 40 year high.
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) May 16, 2022
Bezos’ remarks come after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released data last week that showed that the Consumer Price Index increased 8.3% in April from a year ago, which is higher than the projected 8.1%.
Bezos first took a jab at Biden last week after the president said that the key to bringing down inflation was making sure that “the wealthiest corporations pay their fair share.”
“The newly created Disinformation Board should review this tweet, or maybe they need to form a new Non Sequitur Board instead,” Bezos responded. “Raising corp taxes is fine to discuss. Taming inflation is critical to discuss. Mushing them together is just misdirection.”
Later in the week, Biden again tweeted about inflation, claiming that he lowered the deficit and that lowering the deficit was helping “ease inflationary pressures.”
“Under my predecessor, the deficit increased every single year,” Biden claimed on Twitter. “This year, we’re on track to cut the deficit by $1.5 trillion – the biggest one-year decline ever. It matters to families, because reducing the deficit is one of the main ways we can ease inflationary pressures.”
Bezos responded to Biden’s statement by writing: “In fact, the administration tried hard to inject even more stimulus into an already over-heated, inflationary economy and only Manchin saved them from themselves.”
“Inflation is a regressive tax that most hurts the least affluent,” he continued. “Misdirection doesn’t help the country.”
In fact, the administration tried hard to inject even more stimulus into an already over-heated, inflationary economy and only Manchin saved them from themselves. Inflation is a regressive tax that most hurts the least affluent. Misdirection doesn’t help the country. https://t.co/a8cygcunEG
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) May 15, 2022