Scott Bessent

president trump is kind of shepherding the party shepherding the movement because imagine he said oh that mike johnson will never get reconciliation instructions out of he's got such a slim majority well he did it he did it yeah that he'll never be able to pass a clean CR. He did it. He did it. So let's see what happens with the budget. So we need Congress to be our partners on the budget.

president trump is kind of shepherding the party shepherding the movement because imagine he said oh that mike johnson will never get reconciliation instructions out of he's got such a slim majority well he did it he did it yeah that he'll never be able to pass a clean CR. He did it. He did it. So let's see what happens with the budget. So we need Congress to be our partners on the budget.

They're very engaged, the House and the Senate, that everybody recognizes that if we don't get this done, it's going to be the biggest, it's pass-fail. It's the biggest tax hike in history.

They're very engaged, the House and the Senate, that everybody recognizes that if we don't get this done, it's going to be the biggest, it's pass-fail. It's the biggest tax hike in history.

Well, Doge... That's the cost cutting. And it's the first time we've really ever had business people looking at it. This Clinton-Gore commission that we hear a lot about, I think it was a bunch of business school professors. But here you've got real CEOs.

Well, Doge... That's the cost cutting. And it's the first time we've really ever had business people looking at it. This Clinton-Gore commission that we hear a lot about, I think it was a bunch of business school professors. But here you've got real CEOs.

Well, it's that. And we had this crypto council meeting the other day, and I was sitting and looking. It was myself, Secretary Letnick, and Kelly Loeffler. Everybody was a market person. Like, forget business. But with Doge, that I am completely... aligned with what Elon's doing. And everyone says, well, do you have to do it so fast? Do you have to do it?

Well, it's that. And we had this crypto council meeting the other day, and I was sitting and looking. It was myself, Secretary Letnick, and Kelly Loeffler. Everybody was a market person. Like, forget business. But with Doge, that I am completely... aligned with what Elon's doing. And everyone says, well, do you have to do it so fast? Do you have to do it?

Like I said, I've only been in this business for seven weeks. I've only been in D.C. for eight weeks. The thing I can tell you is if you don't move fast, the vested interest will weigh you down. the quicksand will come up or... The claws get set. Everybody's got lobbyists, everybody's got... I mean, think about it. Within a 10-mile radius of here, 25% of the GDP of the U.S.

Like I said, I've only been in this business for seven weeks. I've only been in D.C. for eight weeks. The thing I can tell you is if you don't move fast, the vested interest will weigh you down. the quicksand will come up or... The claws get set. Everybody's got lobbyists, everybody's got... I mean, think about it. Within a 10-mile radius of here, 25% of the GDP of the U.S.

pulsates through here every day. And everybody wants to just skim a little. I said to Elon, we were in a meeting, and I said, you know, people are mad at you because you're moving their cheese. And he goes, it's not their cheese. It's the American people's cheese. 100%.

pulsates through here every day. And everybody wants to just skim a little. I said to Elon, we were in a meeting, and I said, you know, people are mad at you because you're moving their cheese. And he goes, it's not their cheese. It's the American people's cheese. 100%.

Yeah, and I'd say there are a couple of things, too. One, everyone's hearing cuts, and they think their government services are going to get cut. That's right.

Yeah, and I'd say there are a couple of things, too. One, everyone's hearing cuts, and they think their government services are going to get cut. That's right.

And they're not. I keep saying it's the Department of Government Efficiency, not government extinction, not government elimination.

And they're not. I keep saying it's the Department of Government Efficiency, not government extinction, not government elimination.

Can we make it run much better with fewer people with fewer costs? And I don't want to demonize any of these federal employees. They tell you in this building, I've been so impressed with the quality of the people. I would have hired them in my private firm. They are great public servants. I need you to stay for the weekend. I need a 25 page memo in 72 hours that super high quality.

Can we make it run much better with fewer people with fewer costs? And I don't want to demonize any of these federal employees. They tell you in this building, I've been so impressed with the quality of the people. I would have hired them in my private firm. They are great public servants. I need you to stay for the weekend. I need a 25 page memo in 72 hours that super high quality.

I actually think what When all this is done, there will have been two big savings. One will have been on these contractors.

I actually think what When all this is done, there will have been two big savings. One will have been on these contractors.