London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 13, 2026

Amazon claims Trump interfered with Pentagon contract in order to hurt Jeff Bezos

Amazon claims Trump interfered with Pentagon contract in order to hurt Jeff Bezos

Amazon alleged on Monday that President Donald Trump abused his position to apply "improper pressure" on Pentagon decision-makers to stop the company from winning a military contract worth billions of dollars.
In a formal protest unsealed at the US Court of Federal Claims, Amazon (AMZN) said Trump "launched repeated public and behind-the-scenes attacks" against the company in an effort to undermine its bid and hurt CEO Jeff Bezos, "his perceived political enemy" because of his ownership of The Washington Post.

The complaint calls for the Defense Department to revisit its decision to award the contract to Microsoft (MSFT). Hanging in the balance is a Pentagon procurement effort for cloud computing valued at $10 billion over 10 years.

"The stakes are high," Amazon said. "The question is whether the President of the United States should be allowed to use the budget of DoD to pursue his own personal and political ends." The White House declined to comment.

In a statement, the Defense Department said it would not be commenting on specific claims in Amazon's filing concerning the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, or JEDI, cloud computing contract.

"This source selection decision was made by an expert team of career public servants and military officers from across the Department of Defense and in accordance with DoD's normal source-selection process," said Pentagon spokesperson Elissa Smith. "There were no external influences on the source selection decision. The department is confident in the JEDI award and remains focused on getting this critical capability into the hands of our warfighters as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Amazon's filing comes as House lawmakers prepare articles of impeachment over Trump's potential abuse of power for allegedly pressuring Ukraine's president to investigate his political rival Joe Biden and Biden's son, Hunter.

Amazon's complaint against Trump over the JEDI cloud computing contract zeroes in on the process of government contracting. The procurement process typically takes place under strict guidelines and outside the direction of political leaders.

The company, a leader in the cloud computing market with its Amazon Web Services unit, was long viewed as the front runner for the contract. Amazon now alleges the Defense Department made "inexplicable" errors in selecting Microsoft as the winner.

In a statement, Microsoft said it had "confidence" in the Defense Department staff who conducted the review. "We believe the facts will show they ran a detailed, thorough and fair process in determining the needs of the warfighter were best met by Microsoft," the company said.

According to the Amazon's filing, however, Pentagon officials reviewed an outdated version of Amazon's bid, ignored certain aspects of Amazon's capabilities and applied different levels of scrutiny to Amazon that Microsoft did not receive.

That treatment, Amazon claims, is a direct result of Trump's intervention. Amazon cited Trump's tweets, news articles about JEDI and a book about then-Defense Secretary James Mattis that claims Trump said he wanted Mattis to "screw Amazon" over the contract.

Trump has repeatedly gone after Bezos for his ownership of The Washington Post and the publication's coverage of him. While campaigning for office, Trump promised Amazon would have "such problems" if he became president. He has also complained that Amazon pays the US Postal Service a heavily subsidized rate for shipping its packages.

Prior to Microsoft winning the JEDI deal in October, Trump publicly vowed to take a "strong look" at the contract in response to complaints about the process from numerous businesses, including IBM (IBM), Microsoft and Oracle (ORCL).

CNN reported in July that Oracle was behind a campaign to undercut Amazon. The effort included a document that alleged a vast government conspiracy to help Amazon win the JEDI contract -a document that was presented to Trump earlier this summer.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
United Kingdom Financial Markets Monitor Business Response to Economic Policy Changes
Scottish Renewable Energy Expansion Highlights Need for Faster Grid Development
Wales and Regions Strengthen Focus on Economic Development Through Tourism and Investment
Retail Industry Warns High Street Businesses Remain Under Pressure
Police Chiefs Highlight Growing Challenges Managing Protests and Public Order
Agriculture Leaders Seek Clarity on Post-Brexit Farming Support and Environmental Rules
Transport Unions Warn of Further Industrial Action Over Pay and Working Conditions
Welsh Tourism Sector Reports Strong Growth Driven by Domestic and International Visitors
National Infrastructure Review Gains Support as Leaders Seek Faster Project Delivery
Financial Markets Assess Impact of United Kingdom Corporate Tax Policy Changes
Northern Ireland Assembly Debates Cross-Border Trade and Infrastructure Cooperation Plans
Government Opens Consultations on Housing Reform and Planning System Changes
Scottish Government Faces Pressure to Accelerate Offshore Wind and Grid Expansion
National Energy System Operator Warns Grid Investment Is Needed for Future Electricity Demand Growth
United Kingdom Research Council Invests in Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology Innovation Hubs
United Kingdom Expands Oversight of Skilled Worker Visa Sponsors Amid Migration Debate
Cross-Party MPs Call for National Infrastructure Strategy Review to Accelerate Economic Growth
Prime Minister Announces One Billion Pound NHS Funding Package Ahead of Winter Pressures
Bank of England Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rates as Inflation Remains Above Forecasts
World Cup Visitors Turn American Big-Box Stores Into Souvenir Stops
Netflix Weighs Always-On Channels, Bundles and Short-Form Video
Passenger Is Pulled Partly Outside Ryanair Jet After Window Fails Mid-Flight
Innovation-led growth strategy
Public service reform pressure
Defence and industrial security
Labour leadership transition and economic reset
Northern England Pushes for Greater Influence in Britain’s Future Economic Model
UK Technology Strategy Focuses on Life Sciences, Digital Innovation and Research Investment
Britain and United States Maintain Focus on Pharmaceuticals Cooperation and Industrial Growth
UK Public Services Face Continued Pressure as Government Promises Visible Improvements
Regional Economic Power Becomes Key Theme in Britain’s Next Political Phase
Britain Expands Support for Small Businesses as Firms Seek Better Access to Finance
UK Economy Remains Central Political Challenge as Cost of Living and Growth Concerns Persist
National Health Service Introduces New Workplace Reviews to Improve Conditions for Healthcare Staff
UK Life Sciences Sector Secures More Than Three Billion Pounds in Investment to Support Innovation
Britain Strengthens Defence Strategy as Security Concerns Reshape Military and Industrial Policy
Andy Burnham Promises Stronger UK Defence Industry and Expanded Domestic Production
UK Government Faces Difficult Spending Choices as Labour Leadership Transition Approaches
Rachel Reeves Warns Andy Burnham of Immediate Economic Challenges After Expected Leadership Change
Andy Burnham Prepares to Lead UK Government With Plans for Regional Power Shift and Economic Reset
Government Creates Emergency Support Scheme for Financially Struggling Universities
United Kingdom Replaces Traditional Farm Subsidies With Payments Linked to Environmental Performance
National Grid Reports First Week of Electricity Generation Without Fossil Fuels
United Kingdom Financial Regulator Introduces Tougher Capital Rules for Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Belfast Harbour Expands Operations to Attract Investment Through United Kingdom and European Union Market Access
Scottish Government Threatens Legal Challenge Over Westminster Cuts to North Sea Transition Funding
United Kingdom Accelerates Trans-Pennine High-Speed Rail Project Linking Northern Cities
United Kingdom Secures Ten Billion Pound Investment for Cambridge Quantum Computing Campus
Port Talbot Steelworks Wins Support for Green Hydrogen Transition and Protection of Industrial Jobs
United Kingdom Sends Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group to Indo-Pacific as Regional Security Focus Expands
×