Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed NBC News host Kristen Welker’s question about funding the Iran war as “ridiculous” and her framing as “terrible” during a tense Sunday exchange on “Meet the Press.”
Welker asked Bessent whether the administration of President Donald Trump would “ever raise taxes” in order to fund the seemingly unpopular Operation Epic Fury against the Islamic theocracy. The treasury secretary initially responded by attacking Welker’s premise but not directly answering her question.
After Welker pressed Bessent multiple times for a “yes” or “no” response, he ultimately admitted a tax increase to fund the war is “not at all” what the administration is considering.
“Again, Kristen, terrible framing,” Bessent told Welker after she first asked the question.
“It’s a simple question that I think a lot of people have—,” the NBC News host fired back.
“It’s a ridiculous question,” the Trump administration treasury chief retorted.
“Can you answer it?” Welker asked.
“Why would we do that?” Bessent responded. “We have plenty. We have a trillion dollars in this year’s budget for the military. And President Trump, even before the conflict started, had said that he would like to further build out the military.”
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“So, is raising taxes under consideration at all if you’re saying you have plenty of money?” Welker pressed the secretary.
“Not at all,” Bessent replied.
Trump in late 2025 approved a $900 billion budget Congress passed for Fiscal Year 2026 defense spending, a record at the time. Just months later, however, the president gave the green light to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s request to up military spending to $1.5 trillion in Fiscal Year 2027.
Hegseth’s Pentagon is currently requesting $200 billion from Congress to continue funding the war in Iran, a hefty package which at least one GOP congressman reportedly thinks should include financial aid to Ukraine.
Welker also pressed the treasury over the economic impacts of the Iran war.
“What do you say to Americans who feel they were promised lower costs and now they’re getting the opposite?” she asked him.
“Kristen, I think the American people understand that any 50 — I’m not going to put a time on it but let’s just pick 50 — days of temporary elevated prices — prices will come off on the other side — for 50 years of not having an Iranian regime with a nuclear weapon,” Bessent replied. “The American people, are beginning to understand, thanks to President Trump, that there is no prosperity without security.”
Welker then zeroed in on Bessent’s apparent suggestion that prices may begin to fall after 50 days of military action, in mid-to-late April.
“I heard you say 50 days. Are you saying that prices can start to come down? What’s the time frame— ” she asked.
“I was just picking a point. I don’t know whether it’s going to be 30 days,” Besent said. “I don’t know whether it’s going to be 50 days. I don’t know whether it’s going to be 100 days. But to have 50 years of peace in the Middle East and know that the Iranian regime is defanged because, Kristen, what we had before was the illusion of security.”
Sunday’s exchange was not the first time Bessent attacked the premise of a question Welker asked him on “Meet the Press.” The treasury secretary notably told the host Jan. 18 she was putting forward “false choice” framing by suggesting Trump had to decide between prioritizing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or obtaining Greenland.
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