Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday and challenged host Margaret Brennan over her earlier predictions that President Trump's tariff policies would cause significant inflation.
During a March 2025 interview, Brennan had cited studies, like one from the Peterson Institute, warning that tariffs could increase household costs by $1,200 annually. Bessent countered that these predictions were "alarmist," pointing out that inflation had not spiked as forecasted.
🔥 SCOTT BESSENT scolds CBS host Margaret Brennan for claiming Trump would cause inflation
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) June 1, 2025
“Stop trying to say this 'could happen' and wait and see what does happen!”
"When we were here in March, you said there was going to be big inflation. There HASN'T been any inflation.… pic.twitter.com/6a3rWDyCDE
He noted that recent data showed inflation at a four-year low, with core PCE dropping significantly and consumer earnings rising 0.8% in a month. Bessent specifically said, “Margaret, when we were here in March, you said there was going to be big inflation. There hasn’t been any inflation. Actually, the inflation numbers are the best in four years.”
He urged her to “stop trying to say this could happen” and focus on actual outcomes, citing lower energy and food prices, like a 20% drop in gasoline and collapsed egg prices, as evidence of the administration’s success.