Amazon’s “buddy buddy” Relationship with Trump

Despite its efforts to maintain its polished image as the world’s second largest private employer, Amazon laid off 14,000 tech workers, leaving thousands of families without an income as the holidays approach.

As shoppers fill their online shopping carts, thousands of workers are showing up to their first day of work in Amazon warehouses nationwide. Many are seasonal workers and paid seasonal pay. They have no guarantee of a job after the holiday season.

There’s the Amazon they want you to see – job creator, friend of the consumer – and there’s the reality of Amazon. For example, Amazon’s widespread use of seasonal employment undermines economic stability for communities and families across the country.

Another example of the true priorities of Amazon? The funding of Trump’s $300 million ballroom at the White House. Amazon is one of the major companies investing in Trump’s marble mausoleum dream.
Investing is the right word. Amazon and other corporations stand to profit considerably from favorable relationships with the administration. Many of Trump’s wealthiest supporters have become millions of dollars richer since he took office, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

So what does it mean when corporations and the ultra-wealthy buddy up to Trump? It can mean tax breaks, deregulation, and policy decisions that favor corporate interests, not the people. This isn’t new for Amazon. Not paying their fair share of taxes is one of the many ways Amazon keeps their pockets overflowing.

Amazon’s reported tax payments between 2018 and 2021 expose the truth. During those years Amazon raked in $79 billion in pretax U.S. income, but they only paid $4 billion in federal corporate income taxes. A 5.1% tax rate, far below the standard rate of 21%. In other words, while working class Americans pay their fair share, Amazon, one of the world’s wealthiest companies, hoards their share.

Amazon’s ballroom funding may seem extravagant at first blush, but it reveals the connection between corporate power and public corruption.

-Sheheryar Kaoosji

Sheheryar Kaoosji

Despite its efforts to maintain its polished image as the world's second largest private employer, Amazon laid off 14,000 tech workers, leaving thousands of families without an income as the holidays approach.

There’s the Amazon they want you to see - job creator, friend of the consumer - and there’s the reality of Amazon. For example, Amazon’s widespread use of seasonal employment undermines economic stability for communities and families across the country.

Another example of the true priorities of Amazon? The funding of Trump’s $300 million ballroom at the White House. Amazon is one of the major companies investing in Trump's marble mausoleum dream.
Investing is the right word. Amazon and other corporations stand to profit considerably from favorable relationships with the administration. Many of Trump’s wealthiest supporters have become millions of dollars richer since he took office, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Amazon’s ballroom funding may seem extravagant at first blush, but it reveals the connection between corporate power and public corruption.

-Sheheryar Kaoosji

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