President Donald Trump acknowledged the advantage of Amazon’s major benefits packages from Crystal City, Virginia, and Long Island City in Queens, New York, for deciding to place two major facilities in both places during an exclusive Oval Office interview with The Daily Caller.
“I think they’re paying a very big price,” Trump said of Arlington and New York City’s decision, but added, “It was a competition. I know all about those competitions. I’ve been in those competitions — a lot of cities were competing for it. They took the best deals, you know?”
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Amazon announced Tuesday it would locate two major facilities in Crystal City and New York City, with 25,000 employees assigned to each. Amazon received billions of dollars in subsidies from both cities to build their new facilities.
New York alone will offer nearly $1.5 billion in subsidies to Amazon with Virginia offering approximately $500 million. The subsidies are contingent on Amazon delivering a promised number of jobs to the region. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Trump Calls Acosta ‘Bad For The Country’)
The president continued on both cities decisions, saying, “They’re giving up a lot; they’re expensive deals. Only time will tell. Maybe Amazon will have massive competition and they won’t be the same company in five years in which case it would be a big mistake.”
AFP PHOTO PHILIPPE HUGUEN
Trump said of Amazon’s online e-commerce business, “I think it’s going to be a very competitive business someday.”
When asked whether he continues to believe Amazon was taking advantage of the U.S. postal system, Trump replied, “I think they’re getting the bargain of the century, I think that’s why I’ve asked for a review of [Amazon’s impact on the U.S. postal system].”
The president stressed that it wasn’t just Amazon he believed was taking advantage of the postal system, saying, “There are classes of companies that are getting the bargain.”
Amber Athey contributed to this report.