Tipsheet

Scott Bessent Body Slams The New York Times at Its Own Summit

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  December 03, 2025 3:15 PM

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attended The New York Times DealBook Summit today, and he didn't come to play around. Known for his frank, no-nonsense approach to things, Bessent has put Minnesota on notice over the massive fraud in the state, and he told NBC News the truth about the shutdown: "Democrats haven't been able to stop President Trump in the courts; they haven't been able to stop him in the media. So they had to harm the American people,” Bessent said.

He was no different at the DealBook Summit, and The New York Times was the target of some of his frankness.

We chuckled at the little graphic circling The New York Times.

"I actually don't read the New York Times anymore," Bessent said to laughter. "I do watch CNBC, but occasionally people send me articles and there's just this fever swamp and...The New York Times is no longer the paper of record."

"I read this article, 'President Trump is slowing down, President Trump's mental capacity' it is a hundred percent fake," Bessent added. "He only called me twice at two in the morning last week, instead of three times."

"You had what was one of the greatest scandals of all time, the coverage of the Biden administration, Joe Biden's diminished capacity and the cover-up. Where was the New York Times?" Bessent asked. "We just had a three-hour cabinet meeting yesterday, Andrew. For ten months, the Biden administration did not have a cabinet meeting. How are you going to invoke the 25th Amendment if the cabinet secretaries never see the President? Which they didn't."

"I hear from people in the Treasury building, 'I see President Trump more in a day than my predecessor saw Joe Biden in half a year,'" Bessent said.

But Bessent didn't stop there. He also spoke about affordability and the problems caused by blue states.

"Affordability is worse in a blue state," Bessent said. "There's no debate. They're 50 basis points higher inflation, the ten highest inflation rates are in blue cities."

When The New York Times looked at the past four years, Bessent kept the focus on current inflation.

"Right, today," Bessent said. "Today it is 50 basis points higher...people are voting with their feet. I have the American people on my side. New York, Illinois, California, Massachusetts are depopulating.

When the New York Times said inflation in Florida is up 22 percent, Bessent responded quickly, "Well, inflation is up 25 percent nationally, so it's lower." 

He also touted the Trump Accounts for children, calling the American people "generous and giving."

"When you see that people have a stake in the system, they don't want to bring the system down," Bessent said. "Americans are the most generous and giving people in the history of the world, and there has never been a vehicle for them to be able to give directly to American children.”

"I believe that we are going to see this incredible outpouring into these accounts," Bessent added. "This is the opportunity for philanthropists, for foundations, and for corporate to contribute to all the American children."

Bessent always impresses us when he speaks, and is a fantastic Treasury Secretary.