About Scott Bessent
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been a prominent voice on economic policy, national security, and financial initiatives in recent months. He has discussed the administration's economic agenda, stating that the economy was "growing at 4%" before the Iran conflict and expressing confidence that inflation would return to target. Bessent has touted job growth, saying the U.S. created 900,000 private sector jobs since President Trump took office, and has described the past three months of job numbers as a "blowout." He has also promoted the "Trump accounts" program, which provides a $1,000 seed investment from the Treasury for every child born during President Trump's term, and announced that philanthropists can donate stock into these accounts. Alongside First Lady Melania Trump, Bessent launched "Fostering the Future" accounts, a dedicated savings and investment vehicle for foster youth, which he described as "the most important benefit for young people since the GI Bill."
Bessent has also focused on counterterrorism and financial oversight. He delivered remarks on "far-left political terrorism," stating that the Treasury is expanding efforts to identify organizations that abuse charitable and nonprofit structures as vehicles for illicit finance. He argued that "nonprofit status is a privilege" and that the Treasury will hold directors and trustees accountable for their grantees. On foreign policy, Bessent discussed the administration's approach to Iran, saying the U.S. military destroyed a large part of Iran's missile stockpile and that for the first time since 1979, Iranians are willing to discuss their nuclear program. He stated that the Treasury will oversee frozen Iranian funds released from Qatar, with a large portion going to buy U.S. foodstuffs and medicines.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from Scott Bessent's recent appearances.
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Transcript (33 segments)
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Narrator0:01
Primetime got an exclusive tour of the Treasury Department. Watch.
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Jesse Watters0:08
Mr. Secretary, tell us a bit about the building.
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Scott Bessent0:10
It's a great building. This is the cash room. They used to have the inaugural ball in here when the country was getting started. And this is the house that Hamilton built. We have some great Treasury secretaries. Hamilton, Chase who financed the U.S. government during the Civil War, so it's a great building.
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Jesse Watters0:35
Now we have Scott Bessent.
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Scott Bessent0:37
Now we do. Number 79. I always like to point out, 79 Treasury secretaries, only 47 presidents. Job security is not as good.
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Jesse Watters0:47
You're right next door to the White House. We look over the White House. Before the ballroom construction started, it was four and a half minutes for me to get from my office to the Oval. Do you hear construction all day now?
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Scott Bessent1:01
I hear construction in my dreams. But I've never seen such vast construction. They start at five in the morning, they finish at midnight.
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Jesse Watters1:11
Does the president ever say, Mr. Bessent, I would like to take some things from the Treasury Department and bring it to the White House?
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Scott Bessent1:19
In the Roosevelt Room there is a beautiful painting of Alexander Hamilton that used to be outside my door.
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Jesse Watters1:27
Used to be.
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Scott Bessent1:29
Used to be. So the president sent over some beautiful gold gilding for my office. So it wasn't exactly an even trade, but for President Trump it was pretty even.
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Jesse Watters1:40
He usually comes out on top.
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Scott Bessent1:43
Not usually, always.
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Jesse Watters1:45
What are we looking at here? These look exquisite.
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Scott Bessent1:49
These are the displays of our currency over the years. Some of it, like, we used to have silver certificates, we used to be backed by silver, sometimes gold. And then in the 70s we just went to what was called... where you didn't have to keep gold or silver in the vault. If any of these are still outstanding, the silver or gold is at Fort Knox waiting to be claimed if so needed.
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Jesse Watters2:19
Have you visited Fort Knox?
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Scott Bessent2:21
I haven't. People on my staff have. We are going to the Treasurer's office. The Treasurer has been to Fort Knox and I'm happy to say all gold is present and accounted for. The U.S. has the largest pile of gold in the world. Over $1 trillion at current market value.
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Jesse Watters2:38
And we are getting more from Venezuela, I hear.
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Scott Bessent2:41
We are getting a lot from Venezuela. We are getting gold, these oil sales are going great, this going back to the Venezuelan people.
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Jesse Watters2:49
We have the Trump accounts. This is something very special and it's for everybody. Not just people with means.
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Scott Bessent2:59
That Trump account, children born during President Trump's term, Treasury is going to seed them with $1000 and then all other children, parents can open Trump accounts, form 4547 when you are filling out your taxes. You do it either way and I think this is one of the great social benefits for young people since the GI Bill. And the Dells are contributing $250 per account for children not in the top 20% of the income brackets and certain age groups, so everybody should open one. We've had a lot of philanthropists contributing, foundations, corporate matches. Micron announced $250 million contribution for their employees. And I think we are probably going to have 23 states that will put the money in. So everybody should open one.
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Jesse Watters3:55
We have to make sure Fox is doing a match.
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Scott Bessent3:58
A triple match.
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Jesse Watters3:59
We are having a lot of babies. We want people to have babies during the Trump administration.
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Scott Bessent4:07
Exactly. Claim the $1000. The Vice President has done it, Chief of Staff, Carolyn Leavitt.
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Jesse Watters4:14
Stephen Miller.
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Scott Bessent4:17
Stephen Miller.
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Jesse Watters4:17
You guys are very busy.
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Scott Bessent4:19
We know what their hobby is.
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Jesse Watters4:22
Many people believe because of the president's immigration policies you are getting more American jobs and you are seeing more wage increases.
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Scott Bessent4:30
That's what the data is showing. So prior to April, we saw real wage gains for working Americans every month during President Trump's term. I think we will be back to that next month. And because the mass unfettered immigration has stopped, we've had about 1.8 to 2 million voluntary and mandatory deportations. These jobs are for American jobs and what's more important is these are private sector jobs. Government jobs, we have some great government servants, but real wage growth does not come from government jobs, it's the private sector.
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Jesse Watters5:09
And DOGE took care of some of those excess government jobs.
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Scott Bessent5:14
The president has cut back on government. We are rightsizing it and all we are doing is rightsizing it back to the pre-COVID levels. There was this incredible blowout in government, and it's like the president says, I could create 1 million, 2 million jobs if I wanted to blow up the government, but then the deficit goes up, productivity goes down, and I think we are...
