On Saturday, Biden called on gas pump companies to lower skyrocketing fuel prices in “a time of war and global danger” on Twitter. “Reduce the price you charge at the pump to reflect the cost you pay for the product. And do it now,” he wrote. Later that day, Bezos tweeted in response that inflation was “too important a problem for the White House to continue making statements like this.” “It’s either flat-out misdirection or a profound misunderstanding of basic market dynamics,” said the world’s third-richest man. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, responded on Sunday, tweeting that oil prices had fallen about $15 in the past month, while gas pump prices had “fallen slightly,” adding that it was a sign that the “fail” purchase. the American consumer”. He added: “But I guess it’s no surprise that you think oil and gas companies using market power to make record profits at the expense of the American people is how our economy is supposed to work.” It wasn’t the first heated exchange between Bezos and the White House. The billionaire attacked the Biden administration in May over the failed Build Back Better bill, which he believed could worsen inflation. The proposed legislation aimed to raise taxes on wealthy individuals and large corporations to help finance spending on education, child care and programs to combat climate change. The spike in prices, which Biden has largely blamed on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has become a hot topic in US politics ahead of November’s midterm elections. It has also exacerbated tensions between corporate America and some Democratic lawmakers, who have accused the companies of price gouging. But most economists argue that a number of factors have contributed to inflationary pressures, including the post-coronavirus pandemic recovery, bottlenecks in supply chains and government stimulus creating high demand, as well as the war in Ukraine.

John Kirby, the National Security Council’s strategic communications coordinator, said he took “great exception” to accusations of misdirection when asked on Fox News Sunday about Bezos’ comments. Kirby added that the president spoke candidly about efforts to lower gas pump prices, including releasing 1 million barrels of oil from the nation’s strategic reserves. Kirby added that before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Biden was clear that supporting Kiev would not come “without a cost to the American people.”