Now Secretary Bessent, in May the President said that he doesn’t think about Americans’ financial situations. Do you think about the financial situation of the American people?” Hassan asked during a hearing.
“I do, and as the ranking member distorted my statement, as he often does.
The uh— I had prefaced my statement with, we understand that these are challenging times for the American people, that we will get over this, and that at present, the average household has paid about $200 more in gasoline. We think about this every day,” said Bessent, who’s worth approximately $600 million.
“Well, I’m glad that you do,” said the senator.
“Do you think your boss should, too?”
“Uh.
I— I believe his— The— The remarks were taken out of context,” Bessent pathetically insisted.
They were not.
“No, look, here’s what he said.
He said, ‘I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,’ said Hassan. “I don’t think about anybody. So I’m asking you, that’s the direct quote, do you think about how the American people are paying more for gas, groceries, and utilities, since the President clearly said he didn’t? And you speak with the President regularly, are you trying to tell him the truth about how much costs have increased for the American people?”
The simple fact is that Americans are struggling to get by because Trump entered office and immediately started trade wars with his harebrained tariffs and then proceeded to ignite a pointless war with Iran on behalf of Israel.
Gas prices are through the roof and those costs are spreading into every sector of the economy.
All of the MAGA policies that Trump has implemented have made life tangibly worse for average Americans.
Meanwhile, oligarchs like Bessent are immune to rising prices because they’re so obscenely rich that nothing affects them. They’re insulated from the consequences of their own disastrous ideas.
“Well, Senator, I’m going to have to disagree with you on some of that because I have— Groceries are going down,” claimed Bessent.
“And to be clear, since President Trump took office, food price— Food prices or as many people like to call them groceries, food at home, in the statistical data, is up 2.5%”
“When’s the last time you were in a grocery store!?”
shot back Hassan. “Because my husband and I were just in one and look, the average Granite Stater is paid, let me be clear, the average Granite Stater has paid $3,000 more since Donald Trump took office for basic goods and services. Meanwhile, the country lost 100,000 manufacturing jobs in 2025.”
“Tha— That’s— That’s incorrect on groceries,” stuttered a flustered Bessent.
“So do you tell the President this information or not?”
asked Hassan.
“Again, Senator, except for inflation, which is, I believe, going to be a short-term blip, the economic data is very strong.
The jobs data has been very strong,” lied Bessent. “The manufacturing ISM has been very strong.”
“No, actually, that’s incorrect, so let’s move on, because what’s clear to me is that neither you nor the President nor this administration are willing to acknowledge how much more people are paying at the gas pump, at the grocery store, in utilities, for healthcare, for all aspects of American life, nor have you acknowledged the number of manufacturing jobs that were lost in 2025,” said Hassan.
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