Treasury Secretary’s Tense Exchange with NBC Host
During a recent segment on “Meet the Press,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent found himself at odds with NBC News host Kristen Welker over the funding of military operations in Iran. Welker posed a pointed question about whether President Trump’s administration would consider raising taxes to support “Epic Fury,” a controversial initiative targeting Islamic regimes. Bessent dismissed Welker’s framing as “ridiculous” and seemed reluctant to engage with the question directly.
Despite Welker’s insistence for a straightforward “yes” or “no,” Bessent avoided a clear answer, eventually indicating that raising taxes was certainly not on the administration’s agenda. He reiterated his belief that Welker’s setup for the question was flawed, to which she countered that many viewers likely shared her concern.
As the discussion continued, Welker pressed for clarification. “Can you answer that?” she asked, to which Bessent responded, questioning the logic behind such a move. He highlighted the substantial $1 trillion military budget for the current year and mentioned that Trump had aimed to bolster military funding even before the conflict erupted.
“So, if you have a lot of money, are you considering raising taxes?” Welker probed further.
“Not at all,” Bessent stated firmly.
In late 2025, President Trump had approved a historic $900 billion defense budget, but soon afterwards, he endorsed a request for an increase to $1.5 trillion for fiscal year 2027. Currently, the Pentagon is seeking an additional $200 billion to continue support for the Iran war, with some Republican lawmakers arguing for the need to include aid for Ukraine in this package.
Transitioning the conversation, Welker asked about the economic repercussions of the Iran conflict, specifically addressing American citizens who had been promised cost savings but were now witnessing rising costs instead. Bessent attempted to explain that the situation might stabilize after a set period of military action, drawing a loose comparison to the previous 50 years of relative peace with Iran.
When Welker pressed for a timeline, Bessent offered a vague answer, suggesting that he only mentioned the “50 days” as an illustrative point. “I don’t know if it’s going to be 30 days or 100 days,” he admitted, while reiterating that past security had sometimes been an illusion.
This wasn’t the first time that Bessent found himself challenging Welker’s queries. Earlier in the year, he had criticized the way she framed questions about U.S. military commitments, indicating a broader concern about narrative framing in media discussions.
