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President Donald Trump
- President Donald Trump has weighed on Amazon's second headquarters project, known as HQ2.
- "I think they're paying a very big price. I think that it was a competition. I know all about those competitions, I've been in those competitions, you know, and it's a lot of people, a lot of cities who are competing for it," Trump said. "They took the best deals."
- Amazon has been criticized by other politicians.
Amazon has chosen its HQ2 locations, and President Donald Trump has weighed in.
"I think they're paying a very big price," Trump told the Daily Caller during an interview. "I think that it was a competition. I know all about those competitions, I've been in those competitions, you know, and it's a lot of people, a lot of cities who are competing for it."
Ultimately, Amazon "took the best deals," Trump said, alluding to his position that it was smart of Amazon to do so.
Trump wasn't so confident in the future of Amazon, however, and predicted the company could face resistance in its core e-commerce business
"Only time will tell" if Amazon has made a smart decision with building its new offices in New York and Virginia, Trump said.
"Maybe Amazon will have massive competition and they won't be the same company in five years, in which case it will be a big mistake," he continued.
Also read: Trump just made a case that Amazon is not a monopoly
Trump then pivoted to talk about Amazon's place in the e-commerce market, citing notable competitors like Walmart, which has been beefing up its online offerings.
"You know, Amazon could have - I see Walmart is doing very well and others are building sites. I think that's going to be a very competitive business someday, Amazon. And I'm not sure that size necessarily helps," Trump said before being interrupted by Daily Caller's interviewers to move on to a completely different topic.
While Walmart has been making progress, hitting major milestones along the way, it still has a much smaller market share in terms of revenue online, according to Emarketer.
Trump has taken a much less harsh tone to Amazon's new headquarters than other politicians, including Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"Amazon is a billion-dollar company," she tweeted. "The idea that it will receive hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks at a time when our subway is crumbling and our communities need MORE investment, not less, is extremely concerning to residents here."
Other voices, like editorials in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, have criticized Amazon's HQ2 project, as well as the ultimate outcomes.
