Amazon founder Jeff Bezos congratulated Donald Trump on Wednesday for his “extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory” following the former president’s re-election. Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, shared his hopes for Trump’s success in “leading and uniting the America we all love” in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Bezos remarked, “Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback. No nation has bigger opportunities.”
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy joined in offering congratulations, stating, “Congratulations to President-elect Trump on a hard-fought victory. We look forward to working with your administration on issues important to our customers, employees, communities, and country.”
The remarks from Bezos came shortly after he defended The Washington Post’s recent decision not to endorse a candidate, arguing that such endorsements can lead to perceived bias. The decision sparked considerable backlash from the newspaper’s staff and readers, resulting in the resignation of nearly one-third of the editorial board and the cancellation of 250,000 subscriptions. Some staff members expressed frustration, accusing Bezos of “anticipatory obedience” to Trump’s administration.
The complex relationship between Trump and Bezos dates back years, with Trump repeatedly calling The Washington Post the “Amazon Washington Post” and criticizing Bezos’s business ventures. This history includes Trump’s public jabs at Bezos, such as his 2019 tweet mocking Bezos amid a tabloid report on his personal life. Meanwhile, Amazon previously alleged that Trump, as president, interfered with the company’s pursuit of a Pentagon contract.
In a related move, Trump’s campaign blocked Puck correspondent Tara Palmeri from covering their election night event in Florida after she published an article on reported “anxiety” within Trump’s campaign team. Palmeri later commented on her podcast, Somebody’s Gotta Win, that her credentials were revoked following her critical coverage.
Interestingly, following Trump’s victory, Amazon’s stock saw a rise of over 3% on Wednesday morning.