On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testified before the House Financial Services Committee, where he articulated the Trump administration's economic wins. Bessent's ability to translate complex economic issues into common-sense policy is what makes him so unique, and even more importantly, so effective.

In his opening statement, Bessent led with the jobs report, where 162,000 jobs were created in August, and one million private sector jobs in this year alone.

WATCH:

Under @POTUS, the private sector has created over 1 million jobs. Real wages are outpacing inflation. The bottom 25 percent of wage earners are seeing larger wage increases than those at the top. And the Working Families Tax Cuts has delivered the largest share of tax relief directly to millions of low- and middle-income Americans.

What hasn't been widely reported is that job growth has dovetailed with the technological advancements of AI. 

PERHAPS AI WILL eventually make many humans unemployable—but there is no sign of it yet. On September 4th the Bureau of Labour Statistics reported that the American economy added 162,000 jobs in August, far above expectations. The unemployment rate is just 4.1%, lower than in almost 90% of months over the past half-century. Young workers, often cast as AI’s first victims, are holding up remarkably well: the gap between unemployment among 20-24-year-olds and the overall rate is close to a multi-decade low.

The younger voters of Generation Z are benefiting from the Trump economy like never before. With the benefits of the Trump Tax Cuts, which include no taxes on tips and no taxes on overtime, they add even more bang to those benefits.

Recommended
'You Done With Your Campaign Ad?' Routine Oversight Hearing Turns Into Patel vs. Welch Cage Match Bob Hoge 'Cooked'? New Development in New Hampshire Senate Race Is Not a Welcome Sign for Democrats Sister Toldjah

If Republicans want to campaign on the gains of the Trump economy, this practical framing would do them well, offering something to their constituents on which they can hang their hat.

But Bessent did not stop there. He discussed the future rate of job growth and economic investment from major manufacturers reshoring production from overseas back to American soil.

WATCH:

.@SecScottBessent: "U.S. manufacturing is roaring back to its fastest pace in years. August marked eight consecutive months of domestic manufacturing growth.  Business activity has surged to a 52-month high. And as companies allocate trillions to building and expanding across the U.S., the Atlanta Fed now projects Q3 GDP growth to surpass 4 percent.  A new industrial supercycle is moving from investment into production, and from blueprints into paychecks.”

Here is the deeper dive: The young people in trade schools and apprenticeships are already in high demand for the manufacturing and production facilities that are being built and will need to be maintained. Those AI data centers some voters are fighting against? They are at the top of the list for job creation and growth.

Young workers who enter trade schools and apprenticeships are in high demand. In fact, in some trades, openings far outnumber newly created jobs because Baby Boomers (many of whom had trade careers) are retiring.

With the U.S. building data centers, semiconductor facilities, electrical infrastructure, manufacturing capacity, energy infrastructure, and housing, the most sought-after trades right now are:

  • Electricians: BLS projects 77,400 net additional electrician jobs through 2034
  • HVAC: Relatively strong employment growth and consistent job demand
  • Industrial maintenance/machinery: 16.1% growth for industrial machinery mechanics
  • Plumbing/pipefitting: BLS expects about 44,000 openings annually

Bessent's testimony was critical in giving Republicans the play on economic gains as they head into the midterms. The question is, will they catch the play or fumble it?