DOW INDUSTRIALS.
IF IT WEREN'T FOR IBM AND
JOHNSON & JOHNSON THE DOW WOULD
BE UP.
>>> PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUES TO
TAKE AIM AT BIG ONLINE RETAILERS
ESPECIALLY AMAZON.
HERE IS THE TWEET.
STATES AND CITIES THROUGHOUT OUR
COUNTRY BEING CHEATED AND
TREATED SO BADLY BY ONLINE
RETAILERS.
VERY UNFAIR TO TRADITIONAL
TAX-PAYING STORES.
AXIOS MEDIA REPORTER SARAH
FISHER IS WITH US.
YOU BROKE THIS STORY ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT GOING AFTER AMAZON.
I SAY IT'S PERSONAL.
PRESIDENT TRUMP DOES NOT LIKE
JEFF BEZOS, FOUNDER OF AMAZON,
OWNER OF THE TRUMP-HATING
"WASHINGTON POST."
I SAY IT IS PERSONAL.
WHAT SAY YOU?
>> I THINK YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
LOOK, WE DON'T SEE THE PRESIDENT
TWEETING ABOUT SOME OF SAME
RIVALS LIKE FACEBOOK AND GOOGLE.
WE ONLY SEE THESE TWEETS COMING
IN ABOUT AMAZON.
LOOK, THOSE TWEETS HAVE AN
EFFECT.
WE'RE SEEING NOW THE SUPREME
COURT IS TAKING UP CASE ON THIS,
A LOT OF ATTENDING AROUND ONLINE
SALES TAX.
WE'LL SEE WHAT IT MEANS FOR JEFF
BEZOS AND AMAZON.
>> DO YOU THINK HE COULD REALLY
HAVE MUCH EFFECT?
THE SUPREME COURT IS CONSIDERING
WHETHER ONLINE RETAILERS HAVE TO
PAY SALES TAX IN VARIOUS
LOCALITIES I GOT THAT.
IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY THE
PRESIDENT COULD SUCCESSFULLY GO
AFTER AMAZON?
>> THE WAY THAT HE SHOULD
PROBABLY DO IT IF HE WANTED TO
HAVE SOME IMPACT WOULD BE TO GO
THROUGH THE DOJ WHICH HE IS NOT
SUPPOSED TO INFLUENCE TO REALLY
GET AT THEM FROM AN ANTITRUST
PERSPECTIVE.
MEANING AMAZON IS TOO BIG.
THEY HAVE ANTI-COMPETITIVE
POWER.
THAT WILL BE REALLY DIFFICULT
FOR HIM TO DO.
HE COULD TRY TO DISSUADE
CONGRESS TO PASS LAWS AROUND
INTERNET SALES TAX.
IT IS AN ELECTION YEAR, I
WOULDN'T EXPECT THEM TO TAKE
ACTION EITHER.
THE PRESIDENT IS KIND OF STUCK.
STUART: THAT IS AN INTERESTING
EXPRESSION.
I DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY AXIOS
LEANS.
I THINK YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH DEAD
DOWN THE MIDDLE.
YOU'RE A NEWS OPERATION AND THAT
IS WHAT YOU DO.
BUT HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT GOING AFTER AMAZON?
>> THE PRESIDENT CAN TAKE TO
TWITTER AND SAY WHATEVER IT IS
THAT HE WANTS.
I AGREE WITH YOU, THAT HE
PROBABLY HAS A PERSONAL VENDETTA
AGAINST JEFF BEZOS WHICH IS WHY
HE IS TARGETING THEM BUT AT THE
END OF THE DAY IT IS SORT OF A
DISTRACTION.
LIKE I SAID THERE IS NOT MUCH
THE PRESIDENT CAN DO IN THIS
INSTANCE OF THE ANYTHING HE SAYS
IS SORT OF NOISE ON TWITTER.
STUART: AS A MEDIA REPORTER
WHAT'S YOUR OPINION OF SOME OF
THE LANGUAGE WHICH THE PRESIDENT
USES IN HIS TWEETS?
>> IT IS VERY EFFECTIVE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW THE
PRESIDENT COMMUNICATES WITH HIS
CONSTITUENCY.
HE USES VERY DIRECT WORDS.
HE IS VERY REPETITIVE.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU AGREE WITH
WHAT HE SAYING I THINK HE IS
SKILLED COMMUNICATOR AND HIS
TWEETS GET ACROSS WHAT HE IS
TRYING TO SAY PRETTY WELL.
STUART: VERY NICE POINT.
YOU ARE STRAIGHT DOWN THE
MIDDLE.
YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE A SIDE
POLITICALLY, DO YOU?
>> NO.
STUART: GOOD FOR YOU.
