Business

Jeff Bezos is optimistic about Trump, will help reduce regulations


Jeff Bezos, founder and executive chairman of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post, takes the stage during the New York Times annual DealBook summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 4, 2024 in New York City.

Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos optimistic about the President-elect Donald Trump Wednesday at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit, said he expected a friendlier regulatory environment in the incoming administration.

“I’m actually very optimistic this time,” Bezos said on stage. “He seems to be making a lot of efforts to reduce regulation. If I can help do that, I’ll help him.”

Bezos’ comments had a lighthearted tone even though Trump had publicly criticized the billionaire during his first term. Trump repeatedly attacked Bezos and his companies, Amazon and The Washington Post, accusing them of tax evasion or posting “fake news” among other things. Trump also constantly pointing fingers at Amazon for using the US Postal Service, claiming the company contributed to the demise of the post office.

2019, Amazon reprimanded Trump’s “behind-the-scenes attacks” targeted the company for losing a multibillion-dollar Defense Department contract, then known as JEDI.

The animosity between the two predates Trump’s time in the White House.

Before the 2016 election, Bezos criticized Trump’s behavior, saying it “eroded our democracy.” He suggested shooting Trump into space after the then-Republican candidate attacked Bezos for using the Postal Service as a “tax shelter.”

But during Trump’s first transition eight years ago, Bezos expressed optimism similar to his current tone. Bezos is one of the major technology leadersalong with top executives from Alphabet, Apple, Facebook and others trekked to Trump Tower to meet Trump in December 2016. At the meeting, both men were nothing but complimentary.

“I found today’s meeting with the president-elect, his transition team and technology leaders very productive,” Bezos said at the time. “I share the view that the government should consider innovation as one of the key pillars, which will create a large number of jobs across the country, in all sectors, not just technology—agriculture , infrastructure, manufacturing—everywhere.”

Bezos had a fairly conciliatory attitude toward Trump before this year’s election. He posted twice on X this year, send congratulations the day after Trump’s victory last month and praising Trump “literal grace under fire” follows assassination plot by Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania in July.

Bezos’ space company Blue Origin will regularly interact with the Trump administration as it competes to secure federal contracts. Blue Origin competes directly with by Elon Musk space exploration company SpaceX. Musk was a key ally of Trump during his campaign for the White House, contributing nearly $75 million to America PAC, a pro-Trump super political action committee he founded earlier this year.

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