Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended President Donald Trumps economic record in a Fox News interview, arguing that Americans will soon feel the benefits of a fundamentally strong economy despite current public skepticism.
According to Mediaite, Bessent appeared on Fox News with anchor Bret Baier after addressing the Economic Club of New York on Tuesday night, where he declared, The purpose of American economic statecraft is to connect national power with household prosperity. Baier pressed him on that message, summarizing it as, Basically, youre saying prosperity is coming even if you dont feel it right this second, prompting Bessent to lay out a case for patience and confidence in Trump-era economic policy.
There are two messages, Bessent replied. Prosperitys coming. The underlying economy is very strong. Were gonna get on the other side of this Iran conflict, and the inflation will come back to target. Well go back to real wage growth. But the other point in my speech was prosperity and security are linked. And for decades, we detached security and prosperity, and we cant have real, durable prosperity without economic security. In a clear rebuke of the previous administrations approach, he argued that the Biden team had ignored how people felt about the economy, suggesting that liberal policies focused on government expansion rather than empowering workers and families.
Baier cited a Fox News poll showing Trumps economic approval at 31%, with 68% disapproving, and observed, If you look at the polls, it is upside-down when it comes to economic thought. Why is that? Bessent responded that public perception lags reality, pointing to tangible indicators of strength that align with conservative, pro-growth policies.
Gasolines a big indicator, he said. Thats gonna come down, and people are spending. And I think that we are going to see some very substantial real wage growth. Weve seen construction jobs, 90,000 construction jobs created. Those will become manufacturing jobs as the factories are built. Were seeing manufacturing jobs tick up. For Bessent, those numbers underscore a broader argument: that a secure nation, restrained government, and a robust private sector remain the surest path to lasting prosperity for American households.
Login