Trump Orders Walmart to ‘Eat the Tariffs’ After Public Backlash

President Donald Trump is lashing out at Walmart after the retail behemoth blamed rising prices on his own sky-high tariffs — and the president’s response? Buck up and take the hit.

In a fiery Truth Social post Saturday, Trump attacked Walmart executives for passing costs onto consumers rather than shouldering them themselves, claiming the company was raking in enough profit to “absorb the pain.”

“Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain,” Trump wrote. “Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ and not charge valued customers ANYTHING.”

The post ended with a Trump-style warning:

“I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!”

Trump’s Trade War, Reignited

The flare-up came just days after Walmart executives confirmed what economists have been warning: Trump’s aggressive trade strategy is hitting American shoppers — hard. During Thursday’s earnings call, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon admitted the company had no choice but to raise prices due to tariffs, even with the president’s last-minute softening of the policy.

“The higher tariffs will result in higher prices,” McMillon said bluntly. “We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible… but we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins.”

Despite Trump’s boasts of a temporary rollback — reducing the import tax on Chinese goods from 145% to 30% — Walmart officials made clear it wasn’t enough. China, in response, slashed its retaliatory tariff from 125% to 10%, but U.S. companies are still feeling the squeeze.

John David Rainey, Walmart’s Chief Financial Officer, didn’t mince words either.

“We’re pleased there’s been some progress,” he told CNBC. “But these tariffs are still far too high.”

Retail Realities vs. Trump Rhetoric

Walmart — the nation’s largest private employer and the primary grocery provider for millions — isn’t backing down.

“We have always worked to keep our prices as low as possible, and we won’t stop,” said spokesperson Joe Pennington in a statement to The Daily Beast. “We’ll keep prices as low as we can for as long as we can given the reality of small retail margins.”

But Trump’s directive to “eat the tariffs” ignores the core math: retailers operate on razor-thin profit lines. Forcing them to absorb massive import taxes means cutting jobs, reducing inventory, or risking collapse.

Still, Trump, ever focused on optics, framed the situation as a patriotic test of loyalty — a loyalty he demands even from America’s biggest corporations.

Market Jitters and Political Shockwaves

Walmart’s stock dipped nearly 4% following the price hike announcement — a sharp reaction on Wall Street to economic policy made over social media. The price rebounded by Friday’s close, but uncertainty remains as Trump continues to escalate his demands.

And for voters feeling the pinch at checkout, Trump’s crusade is triggering flashbacks to the inflation spikes of his previous term.

Bottom Line:

Donald Trump is trying to bully one of America’s biggest companies into covering for his economic choices — and everyday Americans may end up footing the bill anyway.