Bessent gets CORNERED by HOUSE under PUNISHING CROSS-EXAM!!
that this is probably the most corrupt. Treasury Department in our nation's. history. And while you. while you can answer our questions. to protect Trump, Americans are. suffering and Trump is spiraling. >> That right there was Treasury Secretary. Scott Bessent spiraling out of control. when he was testifying under oath before. the House Representatives. Hat tip to. Congresswoman Sanchez for a great. cross-examination of Treasury Secretary. Bessent. Let me show you what went down. at this testimony given by Treasury.
Secretary Bessent. Here we have. Democratic Congress member Larson. cross-examining Bessent about. Can you just tell us whether you believe. there's a war or not taking place? Like. let's start with some basic questions. Watch Bessent flail. Let's play this. clip. >> Are we at war. >> every year under the Biden. administration. >> Are we [clears throat] at war currently? >> The the conflict has been halted. >> The conflict has been halted. I just So.
we're not at war. So our military is not involved. We're. not at war. >> Again, if if you would like for me to. call the Secretary of War, I can ask. I'm the Secretary. >> part of the administration. and as part of this we're not at war. How in God's name if we can't answer any. questions at all? And I don't know, maybe there was a. special orders where we're not allowed. to these these questions. Now we ought. to make that clear. Are we at war or. not?
I'm asking as relation to the cost of. going up with for oil and gas. That. hasn't risen. Has it risen because of. the war? >> It did rise because of the conflict. Yes, sir. >> The the conflict. So that's what we call it. Our people go into battle and they lose. their lives. >> Mr. Larson, your time has expired. >> More from Congresswoman Tlaib right. here. Watch her cross-examination of. Treasury Secretary Besson. Real powerful.
stuff. Let's play it. >> Um Mr. Secretary, do you believe that. all Americans should follow our tax. laws? >> Yes, Congress. >> Yes, good. So do I. And do you believe. that for those Americans who break our. tax laws, they should be audited or held. accountable? >> Well, I think there are two things. there. An audit is not a result of. breaking the law. >> Yes or no? Simple question. >> no, it's not a simple question. It's a. two-part question.
>> let me break it into two. Do you think. they should. >> me if you're asking me should every. taxpayer be audited. >> answer the I came here for answers. If. you came here to waste time, I'm going. to try to make sure you don't do that. Do you believe that people who. lie on their tax returns should be. audited? >> Yes. >> Okay, do you think that people who break. our laws should be held accountable, our. tax laws? >> Yes. >> Okay, thank you. Very simple. Not a hard. question. I'm glad we agree. So why is it that you are allowing. President Trump to have complete.
immunity from being audited? >> I I again, I'm going to have to refer. you to my previous statement, and. >> What was your previous statement, sir? >> that I am unable to comment on any of. the ongoing litigation. >> Okay, can you name the ongoing case. concerning President Trump's immunity. from audit? >> Sorry? >> Can you name There There are three cases. >> Can you name them, please? >> that are out there now, and I will be. happy to get them back get back to you. on those, because again, I am not a.
lawyer. >> Okay. >> Represent We are represented by the DOJ. >> Great. You said that you can't because. there's ongoing litigation. You'll get. me the name of the ongoing litigation, because the only ongoing litigation. that I know of is surrounding the $1.8. million slush fund, which has already. been suspended. The fact is that the judge's ruling in. the litigation that references that. slush fund. only addresses the anti-weaponization.
fund. It doesn't even address Trump's. immunity from audit. So, I would like to ask unanimous. consent to enter into the record the. judge's order in the Floyd versus. Department of Justice case. >> Without objection. >> Thank you. >> And then here we have Congressman Larson. asking Treasury Secretary Scott Besson. some very basic questions. Let's play. this clip. >> have anything to do with uh. core inflation? >> Sir,
does the war in Iran have anything to do. with core inflation? >> Uh. >> or you can't answer that? Or are you. there? Or is this a Is that Are we. precluded from asking that? >> Well, I'm not sure what the question is. >> Well, does Let me make it as simple as I. can. Does the war in Iran Are you with. me? >> Uh. >> Does the war in Iran. >> Thus far, sir, >> caused have witnessed. the rise in gas prices? Has it caused.
them? >> Well, again, that is the regular. inflation. and gas prices have gone up, which I. believe will be temporary. The core. >> So, gas prices have gone up, but you. believe they're temporary. >> Core inflation. it has dropped 0.5% since President. Trump came to office. >> Jeez, you know, when I'm home in my. district, I'm going to just tell those. people, "Jeez, you know what? You missed. this whole thing. Don't you understand. core inflation? You guys are better off. I mean, these gas prices I I don't know.
what you people are thinking out there. For God's sake, you know, they're just. You should be doing cartwheels in the. street over the price of gas. So, what. is the administration's plan to lower. gas prices? >> Uh we've taken the many. >> Are you in favor of eliminating the gas. tax? >> We have moved to. >> Are you in favor of eliminating the gas. tax? >> We would like to work with. >> Are you more from Congresswoman Sanchez. right here? Here's the full exchange of. what I showed at the outset. Powerful,
powerful stuff. Great work, Congresswoman Sanchez. Let's play it. >> I hope that you're proud of your. performance today, Mr. Secretary, because I think. >> you get some social media clips. >> safe to say that this is probably the. most corrupt Treasury Department in our. nation's history. And. >> I am going to have to take. >> questions, you protect. >> That is slanderous, and. >> Americans are suffering in Trump's. spiraling economy. Inflation is now. rising faster than average hourly wages. >> Nah. >> Gas prices are at an all-time high with.
the war in Iran. The cost of groceries. has risen 3.2% over the past years, and. prices on most goods have gone up. because of Trump's tariffs. So, I don't. see how you could call that anything. other than a failure of the most corrupt. Treasury Department in history. >> has expired, Ms. Sanchez. >> Thank you. My time has expired, Secretary. >> Secretary, I would love for you to. respond to. the accusations that your department, because I think you were due the. opportunity for that.
>> The congresswoman is slanderous. She has. nothing but un-. I but the unsubstantiated opinions, and. I will not. stand for that. There is nothing. corrupt. We. the. We move at the highest levels, and just. because she cannot get the answer she. wants, if she would like to give me. facts, she seems long on facts, the short on facts, long on hot air,
and I will not stand for that. Yeah, that's great. >> Mr. Arrington is recognized. >> to make a remark like that. >> Apparently, my colleague had a sudden. interest in the rule. >> Then you go to Congressman member. Thompson right here. and watch this cross-examination and. you'll just see how KG Basset is and. what a liar he is, frankly. Here, let's. play this clip. >> Uh electricity bills are up 8.5%.
Is that golden? >> I Sir, you can ask. >> Yes or no. >> You can ask a question. You can't tell. me how to answer it. So, >> Okay, let me put it this way, Mr. Secretary, because you're obviously not. here to answer questions. You're here. It's my time, Mr. Secretary. It's my. time. Health insurance costs are up 26%. That's not golden. Child care costs are. up 9%. That's not golden. Gas prices are. up nearly 50%. That's not golden.
Grocery prices are still straining. family budgets. That's not golden. Mr. Secretary, working families don't feel. like they're living through a golden. age. And while HR1 may have delivered. modest tax cuts for some Americans, many. families are seeing those savings wiped. out by higher costs everywhere they. shop. Is that what this administration. considers a golden age? And that's.
rhetorical, so you don't even have to. try and talk over me. Secretary, Mr. Secretary, what should I. tell my constituents when they ask about. these costs? Farmers who are being hit. by high cost of fuel and fertilizers, who can't get their product to market. because of the war in Iran. Tell them it's golden? >> I You should tell them that we have had. 2.6% economic growth since President. Trump took office, despite the.
Democratic. >> These These farmers These farmers are. pretty smart, Mr. Secretary. >> Well, people in California They one. person. >> Reclaiming my time. These farmers are. pretty smart, Mr. Secretary, and they're. not going to fall for that line. I. understand you're. >> Then I'll show you Congresswoman Chu's. cross-examination of Treasury Secretary. Bessent. Let's play it. >> Do you agree with President Trump that. you also do not care about Americans'. financial situations? >> Uh Congresswoman, who was the president.
during World War I? >> Can you. >> No, but. >> Are you Are you refusing to answer my. question? >> No, I'm asking who was the president. during World War I? >> I don't know, but clearly you are not. answering my question. >> World War I was. But let let me tell you. >> clearly getting the idea that you do not. want to answer whether you agree with. President Trump that you do not care. about Americans' financial situations. >> President Trump does care about. Americans' financial situation. >> actually said that he doesn't. >> The No, that that is a truncated thing.
like everything is uh. that he is future-proofing because I can. tell you Americans' financial situations. would be the uh devastated if Iran got a. nuclear weapon and there was a permanent. permanent shutdown of the flow of energy. out of the Middle East. >> And one of the things that Bessent. wanted to continue to say is Joe Biden. this, Joe Biden that. So, let me show. you what went down when you had. Democratic Congressman Boyle, who's also.
the ranking member of the Budget. Committee, watch his cross-examination. of Bessent right here. Real powerful. stuff. Let's play this. >> So, the everything else would be. discretionary spending, Congressman. >> Well, um. >> It would It would be. >> Well, well, I'll tell you what. I have. We can settle No, excuse me, reclaiming. my time. I can settle how the American. people are feeling about this economy. because I have the data on it right here. from Fox News just the other week on the. president and this administration's. handling of the economy, 71%.
of the American people disapprove, including 40% of Republicans, on the president's handling of. inflation. 72%. disapprove. They disapprove, in fact, by. a three-to-one margin. over approval. So, do you agree with the. American people, or are they just wrong? >> The The American people were torched. under the Biden administration. >> god, I wish I had a dollar for every. time you or someone on the Republican.
side brought up Biden's name. If I did, I might have as much money as you have, Mr. Secretary. >> You lost 22% of your purchasing power, because that's what happened. >> people are wrong. The fact that by a. three-to-one margin, they disapprove of. this president and your performance on. the economy, they're wrong. >> Congresswoman DelBene focused her. cross-examination. on Besent regarding the data breaches. and privacy breaches that took place. when the Treasury Department gave GOs.
all of the access to our personal. information. Let's play this clip. >> GAO's audit determined that a DoJ. employee was inadvertently granted. temporary access to create, modify, and. delete data from the payment system. Mr. Secretary, you failed to impose. basic safeguards that left millions of. Americans. personal data vulnerable to unauthorized. access and abuse. And so, my question. for you is, do you take responsibility. for that? And if what specific measures,
if any, did have you taken afterwards to. protect the affected individuals' data. and rebuild confidence in your. department's handling of sensitive. information? >> I Again, the Would you care to look up. What does inadvertent mean? >> Did you Have you taken But you're in. charge. Are you You are responsible for. this. Do you take responsibility for. that? Do you take responsibility? >> I I I will take responsibility. >> Okay, and then what has been done to. make sure that can never happen again?
>> Congresswoman, it was read-only. They had no ability to edit. >> What has happened to make sure that. never happens again? >> We we we have They have just as we have. at the IRS, we have tightened up all. protocols on systems. >> Now, going back to Congresswoman Chu. right here, she says, "Look, I got a. very basic question for you. Um 50. 100 days ago or so, you said it would. only be 50 days of elevated prices. and everything would be then returned to.
be amazing uh in this country. So, you you Will you admit that you were. wrong when you promised people that we. would have lower prices in 50 days? Right? It was kind of like their 90. deals in 90 days gimmick. You You said. 50 days, prices go down. We're now 100. days in the war and prices remain. elevated. But, you know, Biden, this. whole regime is a regime of liars. Right? So, they just go, "Ah, no, the. prices are down, President. Prices. aren't down. What are you talking. about?" Here, let's watch this. >> And I guarantee you several. Woodrow Wilson thought the same.
>> Only 50 days of temporary elevated. prices wrong. You said that Americans would face only. 50 days of temporary elevated prices. Was that wrong since actually, of. course, we're at 100 days now? >> How much have gasoline prices come down. from the peak? 7%. Crude prices are down more than 20, and gasoline prices follow crude prices. >> Well, then, reclaiming my time. >> Those Those are inconvenient facts. >> Re- reclaiming my time. Gas prices are. up by 50% since Trump war started and up.
nearly 30% from last year. Diesel and. jet fuel prices have risen even faster. because refining markets are strained, utility costs have soared due to higher. natural gas and fuel input costs, and. that means commutes, home heating and. electricity, airline tickets, and. delivery fees are all more expensive. And how about grocery prices? They. jumped more in April than they did in.
nearly 4 years since when Biden was. president. >> There you have it. Now, let me know what. you think about that cross-examination. of Bessant. I thought real powerful. stuff right there. Do me a favor, hit. subscribe. Let's get to 7 million. subscribers and thanks for watching. everybody. >> Want to stay plugged in? Become a. subscriber to our Substack at [music]. midasplus.com. You'll get daily recaps. from Ron Filipkowski, ad-free episodes. of our podcast, [music] and more. exclusive content only available at. midasplus.com.
