Bezos Criticizes Biden Administration, Says Build Back Better Would Have Spurred Inflation

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos criticized the Biden administration in a series of tweets over the weekend.

Bezos, the world’s second-richest person, criticized a tweet from President Joe Biden on Friday for implying that raising corporate taxes would help ease inflation. On Sunday, Bezos said the Biden administration “tried hard to inject even more stimulus into an already over-heated, inflationary economy and only Manchin saved them from themselves,” adding, “Inflation is a regressive tax that most hurts the least affluent.”

On Monday, Bezos tweeted again, this time responding to a White House statement that defended Biden’s agenda, called Bezos “one of the wealthiest individuals on Earth” and tied Bezos’ criticism to a White House meeting with Amazon labor organizers. Bezos replied that “unions aren’t causing inflation and neither are wealthy people,” instead arguing that “inflation would be even higher than it is today” if Biden’s proposed Build Back Better bill had passed. 

Coverage was widespread across the spectrum. Some coverage from the left described the clash as “silly” or “dumb,” occasionally highlighting administration officials who disputed Bezos’ characterization of inflation. Coverage from the right tended to use more sensational verbs like “rips” and “hits” to describe Bezos’ criticism.