Speaking to a group of reporters while traveling back to Washington from a tax policy round table in West Virginia, Trump said he was taking a “very serious look” at policies that might impact online retailer Amazon.com.
The remarks fit what has by now become a familiar pattern. Trump threatens some action against Amazon, which of course is owned by Trump nemesis Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man. Then, the White House communications department walks it back, saying there are no immediate plans to alter any policies that would affect Amazon.
However, today that pattern was disrupted when Larry Kudlow, Trump’s new top economic advisor, said the president’s concerns were “very reasonable.”
“You look at the sales tax situation which is going to be taken up I guess very soon, there’s going to be a decision from the Supreme Court,” Trump said. “So we’ll see what happens. The Post Office is not doing well with Amazon that I can tell you.”
“The playing field has to be level for everybody,” he said.
But Amazon wasn’t the only offhanded controversial remark made by Trump at this informal meeting with the press pool. For the perhaps the second time ever, Trump himself chimed in on the Stormy Daniels controversy, saying he was unaware of the $130,000 payment to the former adult film actress which has been characterized as a “hush payment”. He had previously spoken about it only to deny the affair.
“You have to ask Michael Cohen,” Trump said to reporters aboard Air Force One. “Michael’s my attorney and you’ll have to ask Michael.”
Trump also said that he’s supportive of EPA Chief Scott Pruitt following revelations that he accepted what appears to be a subsidized rental from the wife of a prominent lobbyist in an industry Pruitt is supposed to regulate.
After saying he would send the military to protect the Southern border until his promised wall is built, Trump clarified that he expects to send 2,000 to 4,000 national guard troops to the border.
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