Watch: Bessent Steamrolls Democrats During Fiery House Hearing

AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took the Democrats to task on Wednesday when he testified before the Senate Finance Committee on President Donald Trump's 2027 budget. 

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So there should be questions about the budget, right? But, instead, they tried to attack the Trump administration and smear Bessent himself. But Bessent was having none of that, torching them in the process. But he was just getting warmed up.  


READ MORE: With the Quickness: Scott Bessent Easily Divests Ron Wyden and Thom Tillis' Half-Baked Questions


On Thursday, Bessent was at it again, testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee. Again, you have Democrats trying to go off into other arenas that are not Bessent's area of responsibility. Listen as Rep. John Larson (CT-01) tries to get him to declare Operation Epic Fury a "war," but Bessent wasn't going to oblige him, instead referring him to the Secretary of the Department of War. 

Then Bessent really did him in when Larson revealed how ignorant he was about what he was asking. There's an old saying in the law that a lawyer shouldn't ask a question of a witness unless he knows what the answer is going to be. He's likely to be caught short, and that's exactly what happened to Larson here. 

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"Are you in favor of eliminating the gas tax?" Larson asked. 

Bessent started to say, "We have moved to..." Then he was rudely interrupted by Larson. 

"Are you in favor of eliminating the gas tax? Are you able to answer that, or is that not..." Larson insisted. 

"Well, if I'm not interrupted, I can," Bessent shot back. 

"I'm waiting for your answer!" Larson said, again. 

Bessent then explained that the White House had asked Congress to move to eliminate the gas tax, "That is done through statute." 

Larson seemed surprised, "You moved that? So you're in favor of eliminating the gas tax?"

Bessent said, "Again, the White House has asked for it." 

"They have?! Why isn't it before the committee for a vote?" Larson replied. 

"I don't run the agenda," Bessent finished him. 

Rep. Larson apparently has trouble with the process of how things work, and the House is supposed to be moving that after the White House requests it. 

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Did Larson ask these questions when Americans were being crushed by Joe Biden's inflation and high gas prices? Somehow, I missed him questioning all that. And he's raising something the Trump team is already trying to get done, because unlike the Biden team, they aren't asleep at the switch. 

But Bessent just made Larson look silly. 

Bessent also took down Rep. Suzan Delbene (WA-01), who asked a question about USAID. 

Why are you asking me, Bessent retorted, saying he doesn't oversee USAID. 

Democrats really need to get their act together. 

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