U.S. Treasury Secretary Challenges Shutdown Blame on Trump
On a recent episode of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent disputed host Kristen Welker’s claim that President Donald Trump is responsible for the ongoing government shutdown. Welker posed a direct question regarding when Trump would engage with Democrats to negotiate an end to the shutdown.
Bessent countered, saying, “Well, Kristen, I have to deny the premise of your question. Why does President Trump need to meet with the Democrats? The Democrats just need to go to the Senate and vote to end the shutdown.”
The impasse has now dragged on for 27 days, with no consensus on a spending bill to kick off the new fiscal year. While Republicans have put forth a short-term spending bill to buy time for finalizing budget decisions for 2026, Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have repeatedly rejected it. Their argument centers on the need to first discuss expiring coronavirus-era insurance subsidies.
As part of this, Democrats seek an extension of Obamacare subsidies, which are set to lapse at the end of 2025. However, conservatives are opposed, believing these subsidies contribute to rising health insurance costs.
Recent discussions have seen Democratic figures like Schumer being singled out by Republicans, who argue he avoids reaching a deal due to pressure from more progressive members of his party, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed concerns about the influence of the left within the Democratic Party, which he believes is blocking a resolution.
During the interview, Welker reminded Bessent of Trump’s past statements about a president’s leadership role, suggesting that he ought to step up to facilitate a deal. Bessent, however, insisted that the responsibility lay elsewhere, specifically with Schumer’s leadership.
He pointed to statistics, saying that 52 Republicans voted in favor of reopening the government while only three Democrats did. Bessent urged moderate Democrats to cross party lines to help resolve the shutdown. “This is starting to impact travel, this is starting to impact the economy,” he remarked, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
