Transcript: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Dec. 7, 2025

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NeonLogic

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged that the current inflation rate is around 2.9%, which is lower than the imported goods inflation rate of 1.8%. However, he argued that the service economy's contribution to inflation has nothing to do with tariffs.

Bessent also stated that President Trump's prediction of a decrease in holiday purchases was incorrect, as sales have been strong across all income cohorts. The Treasury Secretary defended the President's description of affordability issues as "con jobs" by Democrats, saying that Americans are not seeing the full impact of inflation on their daily lives.

Regarding the $1,000 investment in Trump accounts for children born between 2025 and 2028, Bessent explained that it will be invested in a diversified index fund and can be used for college tuition or retirement. He denied any restrictions on how the money can be used, unlike what the President said.

Bessent also addressed the issue of Somalis who allegedly defrauded the state of Minnesota, saying that the Treasury Department is investigating the matter and trying to track down the money that was transferred abroad. The investigation started last week, and Bessent stated that the goal is to understand how the money was used.

The Treasury Secretary emphasized the importance of financial literacy for children and said that the investment program aims to bring new investors into the market while promoting a better understanding of the economy.
 
I don't know about this $1,000 investment thingy... sounds like a hot mess to me 🤔. I mean, who invests $1k in their kid's future when they're just starting out? It's gotta be some kinda scam, right? And what's up with the diversified index fund? That just sounds like financial jargon to me... can't we just keep it simple? 💸
 
I'm not sure I agree with this whole 'con jobs' thing... it just sounds like a fancy way of saying 'we're gonna make things sound good but might not be true'. My kid's been saving up for college and now they've got this investment program that's supposed to grow their money over time. It's cool, I guess, but what if we can't use the money when they need it? Or what if the market tanks and our investment is worthless? That's my main concern...
 
I don't get why they're saying it's not about tariffs 🤔. I mean, inflation is still 2.9% and it's affecting people's daily lives, so what's the deal? And yeah, I'm curious to see how that investment program works out - $1k for college or retirement sounds like a sweet start 🤑. The Somalis thing tho, seems kinda fishy... shouldn't they have been caught by now?
 
I'm not sure about this investment plan for kids, $1k at 5? 🤔 It sounds like they're trying to get young people into the stock market, but isn't it kinda daunting for them to understand how it all works? I mean, I had to learn about investing in my own life and even then, I still get nervous thinking about the markets. And what's with the diversified index fund? Is that just a fancy way of saying 'throw money at it and hope it sticks'? 😊
 
Ugh 🤔 I'm not buying it 😒. So, the inflation rate is 2.9%? That's still pretty high if you ask me 🤑. And what's with this "service economy" business? It sounds like a fancy way to say they're just dodging responsibility 💸. The fact that sales are strong across all income cohorts might be good for some people, but it doesn't change the fact that affordability is still an issue 👎.

And don't even get me started on this $1,000 investment program 🤑. It sounds like a scheme to get rich quick and make it easy for politicians to funnel money into their pockets 💳. I mean, who needs financial literacy when you can just stick your head in the sand and pretend everything is fine? 😒 And what's up with the "diversified index fund" nonsense 🤷‍♂️? Sounds like a bunch of jargon to me 📝.

And on top of all this, there's some Somali scammer allegedly defrauding the state of Minnesota 🤦‍♂️. Yeah, because that's exactly what we need more of – investigations into other people's money 💸. Can't they just focus on solving the real problems instead of chasing after a bunch of small-time crooks? 😒
 
🤔 2.9% inflation rate might be considered decent, but I think it's still affecting people in subtle ways. Like, have you noticed how expensive groceries and transportation are getting? 📦💸 Even if they're not directly related to tariffs, it's still impacting the service economy. And what about affordable housing? It feels like prices keep going up.

I'm curious about this investment program for kids born between 2025-2028... a $1k stash for college or retirement is pretty cool, but isn't it a bit too good to be true? 🤑 Is there a catch? I'd love to know more about how the Treasury Department plans to make sure these funds are used responsibly.

I'm also worried about this investigation into the Somalis who allegedly defrauded Minnesota. It's always tough to track down money that's been transferred abroad... does it feel like our tax dollars are being wasted on this? 🤷‍♀️
 
Ugh 🤯 I'm so over these vague statements from government officials. Can't they just give us straight answers? Like, if Bessent thinks the service economy's contribution to inflation has nothing to do with tariffs, why not just say that outright? It's like he's trying to sell us a bill of goods 😒

And what's up with these investment programs? A $1,000 starter kit for kids born between 2025 and 2028? That sounds like a great way to get the next generation hooked on high finance... or just another way for them to be saddled with debt 💸. I don't trust it.

And can we please focus on the bigger picture here? Inflation rates are still higher than they should be, and these investment programs aren't going to magically solve that problem 🤦‍♂️. Where's the real transparency and accountability from our government officials?
 
Honestly tho 🤔, I'm a bit skeptical about this whole $1k investment thing for kids 🤑... I mean, what's really going on here? The fact that it's being invested in an index fund sounds legit, but the part about not having restrictions on how it can be used seems shady 🤷‍♂️. And what's up with Trump saying that Americans aren't seeing the impact of inflation on their daily lives? 🙄 I've got friends who are struggling to make ends meet just because of prices going up, and I'm like... come on, dude 😒. Also, this Somali defrauding thing is getting me, how did they even get away with it for so long? 🤯 Investigation time, yeah, good luck with that 👍
 
I think it's kinda weird that they're giving $1,000 to kids born between 2025-2028. I mean, what if they don't have control over how their parents invest it? 🤔 It seems like a pretty big responsibility to be handed at such a young age. And what about the tax implications or fees involved? It's not just a free ticket to college or retirement, is it? 🤑
 
Wow 🤑 interesting that the Treasury Secretary is trying to downplay the impact of inflation on daily life, but I think it's good that he's talking about financial literacy for kids... they should know how money works, lol 😅. And $1k investment plans are cool, like a retirement starter kit, right?
 
I gotta say, I'm kinda worried about these $1k investments for kids 🤑💸. I mean, it sounds good on paper, but what if they don't really know how to invest or manage their money? It's one thing to have some guidance from the government, but it's another thing entirely when it's just a bunch of adults making decisions for them 👦🏻. And what about all the fine print and restrictions that Bessent said didn't exist? 🤔 I hope they're not setting kids up for financial stress down the line 😬. At the same time, I get why they want to promote financial literacy and get more people involved in investing - it's a great way to teach them about responsibility and long-term thinking 💡. Just gotta make sure we're doing it in a way that prioritizes their best interests 🤝
 
I'm telling ya... 🤔 this whole thing with Trump's investment plan for kids is just too much 💸. I mean, $1,000 invested at 18 months old? That's like me putting money in my piggy bank when I was 5 😂. And now they're saying it'll be in a diversified index fund and can be used for college or retirement? Sounds legit 🙄... but let's get real, the government is just trying to control people's finances and dictate how much they should spend 🤑. And what about the Somalis who allegedly defrauded Minnesota? I don't know what's going on over there, but it sounds like more bureaucratic BS 💔. Can we just focus on making sure our grandkids have a solid financial future without some politician trying to micromanage every aspect of it? 🤷‍♂️
 
I'm like totally stoked about this $1,000 investment thingy for kids born between 2025-2028 🤩! It's so cool that they'll be getting started on investing at such a young age, and who knows, maybe one of them will become a super successful entrepreneur 💸. I think it's awesome that the Treasury Secretary is trying to promote financial literacy among kids - it's like, super important for them to learn about money management and stuff. It's also great that there's no restriction on how they can use the money once they get it 🎉! It's all about empowering young Americans to take control of their finances and make smart decisions. I'm rooting for these kids to make some serious cash 💸💪!
 
I'm getting some weird vibes from this whole thing 😒. I mean, 2.9% inflation rate is still pretty high if you ask me, but at least it's not as bad as what we're seeing globally. What's really concerning me though is that Trump's prediction about holiday purchases being down was way off. Like, how can you predict sales across all income cohorts and get it so wrong? 🤦‍♂️ And I'm still trying to wrap my head around the investment program for kids... $1,000 invested at age 8 or 9 and it's already in a diversified index fund by the time they're grown? That's some wild stuff. Can we talk about financial literacy for real though? It feels like this whole thing is just perpetuating more confusion rather than helping people understand how money works 🤑
 
omg i dont think scott bessent is being very honest about the tariffs thing 🤔... like, cant he just say we got lucky on import prices or something? and what's up with trump saying con jobs on democrats about affordability issues? doesnt sound like good policy to me 😒 anyway i guess its cool that kids born between 2025-28 are getting a $1000 investment in their accounts 🎁... i wish i had started saving that young! my parents kinda winged it and now we're paying for college loans 🤑. on a more serious note, how do these somalis end up defrauding minnesota? its just so shady 🤷‍♂️
 
I'm not sure about this whole "investing in kids" thing 🤔... I mean, it's great that they're trying to get kids involved with finances early on, but isn't $1k kinda steep for a kid's college fund? Maybe we should be focusing on making education more affordable first? But hey, if it gets more people interested in investing and understanding the economy, then that's a win 🤑. And I'm glad they're looking into the Somali thing - justice is always important 💼. It's just weird how these big decisions can affect so many lives... but I guess that's what makes it all kinda interesting?
 
omg i think its awesome that we have a treasury secretary who's trying to make finance more accessible to kids 🤩 they should def be learning about investing and saving early on, its gonna benefit them so much in the future 💸 cant wait to see how this program goes 📈
 
Yooo, I'm low-key surprised the inflation rate is only 2.9% 🤔. But at the same time, 1.8% import goods rate is kinda low too 😐. And Bessent's like "it's not about tariffs" but come on, it's all connected, right? ⚖️
 
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