BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is trimming roughly 1,500 corporate positions as the retail titan reshapes its internal structure in response to rising costs tied to new tariffs — and the move has quickly drawn fire from former President Donald Trump.
In an internal memo obtained by The Hill, senior Walmart executives announced sweeping changes within the company’s Global Tech and Walmart U.S. divisions, aimed at eliminating bureaucratic layers and improving operational speed and innovation.
“We are reshaping some teams in our Global Tech and Walmart U.S. organizations where we have identified opportunities to remove layers and complexity, speed up decision-making, and help associates innovate rapidly,” wrote Suresh Kumar, Walmart’s global chief technology officer, and John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S.
The restructuring includes both job eliminations and the creation of new roles aligned with the company’s strategic priorities.
“These changes are mainly focused on driving efficiency in the End-to-End Operations teams, ensuring we’re serving them so they can best serve our customers,” the memo added. “We’re also evolving the structure of our Walmart Connect marketing organization to position us for future success as we continue growing this business.”
The layoffs come on the heels of Walmart’s announcement last week that it plans to raise prices at its stores in response to President Trump’s proposed tariff increases. The company cited razor-thin retail margins and inflationary pressures as driving factors.
“We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible,” said Walmart CEO Doug McMillon in a statement, “but given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure.”
Trump responded swiftly and sharply via Truth Social, accusing the retail juggernaut of using tariffs as an excuse to boost prices despite its massive profits.
“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.”
He added: “Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!”
Walmart, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, currently employs about 1.6 million people across 4,600 stores nationwide. As the nation’s largest private employer and a barometer for consumer trends, any shift in its pricing, workforce, or supply chain strategy carries major economic and political implications — especially in an election year.
The move underscores the balancing act Walmart must play between maintaining competitive prices, managing operating costs, and navigating the shifting currents of global trade policy.
