When white supremacist in chief Donald Trump began attacking online retailer Amazon for not paying sales taxes, besides being the wrong argument for the right reasons, it seemed confusing to many. Amazon had been the go-to spot for Trump’s campaign, reportedly spending well over $150,000 on supplies from the online monster. A slightly deeper dive revealed that Trump’s attack on Amazon is more personal and self-preservatory than pro-labor. Let’s look at the Trump Twitter attack.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that while Amazon collects sales tax in 45 states, the TrumpStore.com collects from just a few less.
The Trump administration is pushing for online retailers to pay more in state and local taxes. One retailer that could be affected by a stricter tax policy: the online store of the Trump Organization, which collects sales tax from consumers in only two states.
The TrumpStore.com website, which sells $100 polo shirts, baseball caps, spa teddy bears and other Trump-branded merchandise, collects sales tax on orders shipped to addresses in Florida and Louisiana, according to the company’s website.
But don’t you worry. The Trump organization is the kind of standup organization you expect to carry the Trump moniker.
“Trumpstore.com has always, and will continue to collect, report, and remit sales taxes in jurisdictions where it has an obligation to do so,” a Trump Store spokeswoman said. The spokeswoman and the chief legal officer for the Trump Organization didn’t respond to requests for additional information.
Calling out Trump for hypocrisy is like telling my daughter that she’s crying because she’s overtired. It’s true, but it doesn’t feel like “winning.”