Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent is refreshing. He is a picture of a person secure in his role, and secure in the knowledge that he is beholden to no one but the American people and the President of the United States. So, he gives zero effs. Because of this, Bessent has no fear of speaking truth to power, and calling out pompous lawmakers on their grandstanding and gotcha questions. He also does this without ruffling his Brioni suit or mussing his perfectly-coiffed hair.
Bessent demonstrated this confidence, along with his encyclopedic knowledge, on Wednesday during the Senate Finance Committee Oversight Hearing to discuss the president’s 2027 budget, and the effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill. After Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) opened the hearing with his remarks, ranking member Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) decided to use his remarks to not just malign the Trump administration, but the work Bessent does as Treasury Secretary — work that you can tell he is exceptionally proud about executing.
How these senators assume they can deliberately insult and attempt to discredit the secretary of the Treasury and not expect push back is quite amazing. Part of Bessent’s charm and style: he has no qualms about giving it right back to them, and does it with precision and lightning quickness where they have no clue what hit them.
Bessent also knows metaphorically where all the bodies are buried, and has no problem turning the soil on those graves.
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Wyden received a taste of this when he began his rant on litigating the now-defunct Anti-Weaponization Fund. Wyden demanded “an explanation”:
Secretary Bessent owes the committee an explanation of what the Treasury knows about the dirty settlement. That’s because his department was involved from beginning to end. Treasury was a defendant and a negotiator in the lawsuit, it was informed by IRS attorneys that Trump had no real case, and it sure looks to me like Treasury’s top lawyer quit his job in objection to the settlement.
This is an abuse of the IRS that goes way beyond anything that I have any familiarity with. My view is this committee needs to investigate this on a bipartisan basis. Blanche allegedly dropped the insurrection fund doesn’t change that.
Wyden then claimed that his constituents in Oregon were fearful about the economy, adding that his bright-red counties are complaining about costs, before he pivoted to the Iran conflict and quoted President Trump out of context to prove his points.
Here is where, if Wyden had any self-awareness, he would have quit while he was behind. He said:
But that’s the kind of priority that apparently the Treasury Department is focusing on these days.
Even outside of economic matters the Treasury Secretary is simply out of step with the American people.
There’s no better example than the fact that there’s been a coverup of the massive file of Epstein financial records for a year and a half. This is part of the effort I’ve made, it’s the only one: To FOLLOW THE MONEY in the Epstein situation, and yet, there’s been a denial of access to the committee investigators, and lying in public about their significance. That subject alone deserves its own hearing. Senate investigators are trying to figure out who paid Epstein for girls, and unfortunately Secretary Bessent is involved in preventing that from happening.
The bottom line in this administration is the machinery of government works to the benefit of Donald Trump before all else. That’s the corrupt framework that produces insurrection slush funds, protects pedophiles, and dismisses the concerns of people who are worried about being able to make rent and feed their families.
Chairman Crapo was clearly uncomfortable during Wyden’s screed. Once Wyden yielded his time, Crapo attempted to move forward and asked Bessent to make his remarks. Bessent used most of his five minutes to do this, but then did not let Wyden’s accusations about the Epstein Files go unchallenged.
Bessent said:
I had hoped to keep this in terms of the economy, but Senator Wyden has mendaciously slandered the Treasury building, and in an attempt to cover up his son having an investment meeting with Jeffrey Epstein to ask for funding.
Thank you.
Wyden opened the door to this with his claim of FOLLOW THE MONEY. Instead of setting it aside, he chose to once again personally malign Bessent. He said:
Let’s be clear here. Nobody is interested in the ramblings of a capo in the most corrupt regime in American history. We want to get some facts about this deal. That’s what we’re here for.
Chairman Crapo once again tried to take control, but Bessent decided to go for the jugular.
And we would like to hear what Adam Wyden and Jeffrey Epstein talked about. Your son’s largest investment position was Rick’s Caberet. So, did your son and Jeffrey Epstein talk about pole dancing as he begged him for money using your limited credibility?
It was an embarrassing slap down, but Wyden brought it on himself.
WATCH:
🔥BESSENT ABSOLUTELY COOKS DEM SENATOR🔥
SCOTT BESSENT: Sen. Wyden has mendaciously slandered the Treasury building in an attempt to cover up his son having an investment meeting with Jeffrey Epstein…
SEN. RON WYDEN: “Nobody is interested in the rambling of a Capo in the…
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 3, 2026
Chairman Crapo moved forward with his questions about the Anti-Weaponization Fund, as well as more details on the Working Families Tax Cuts, which is what Bessent was before the committee to discuss in the first place.
It must have been the day for arrogant senators to parade their ignorance, because Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) who has been embittered since Trump broke him, had the nerve to ask Bessent whether he threatened to hit DNI nominee Bill Pulte. Neither subject had anything to do with the national budget or how the tax breaks for Americans was working, but Tillis clearly did not care about wasting Bessent’s or the American people’s time. The man is coasting until January 1, 2027 when he gets to retire, and we all wish it was sooner.
Bessent first corrected Tillis on what he heard, and then gave him an answer, which was also quite epic.
WATCH:
Fixed the sound pic.twitter.com/1E0NGiG3xa
— Stieg Fosbinder (@FosbinderRules) June 3, 2026
As effective as Bessent is in his role of Treasury Secretary, he is even more effective at putting pomposity in its place. In this case, he divests the half-baked questions from Wyden and Tillis with ease.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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