Results for “bessent”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has become at least the fifth Trump administration official to move into military housing, as senior officials increasingly seek more secure accommodations while facing heightened security concerns. Reports emerged this week that Bessent had relocated from his Washington-area home following an Iran-linked threat against his life. He joins a growing list […]

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent moved from his home in the nation’s capital to a military base due to Iranian threats, a source familiar with the situation told The Hill. Security concerns regarding Bessent increased after the Wall Street Journal published an article in January 2025 that included an aerial photo of Bessent’s Georgetown mansion, the…

Bessent is now one of several Trump administration officials to live on military bases due to safety concerns.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confronted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick last week about why the administration had not put restrictions on advanced chip sales to Megaspeed.

A deliberate expansion of Iran’s campaign of retaliation beyond the Middle East could be taking place, said an expert.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confronted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over a failure to place Nvidia customer Megaspeed on a list of companies that pose national security concerns, sources familiar told Axios. Why it matters: The Commerce Department oversees the export of sensitive U.S. technologies and Lutnick's actions — or lack thereof — are increasingly under scrutiny following revelations that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huan g had an affair with Megaspeed employee and suspected Chinese spy Alice Huang. Driving the news: At a White House Situation Room meeting on Thursday after the midterm elections, Bessent pressed Lutnick on why Megaspeed was had not been added to the Commerce Department's entity list, to which Lutnick responded he would "look into it." Commerce Undersecretary Jeff Kessler also was repeatedly warned about Megaspeed in deputy meetings. But sources told Axios that Lutnick has spent the last year "undoing" efforts by other administration officials to hold Megaspeed — a company accused of illegally diverting U.S. chips to China — accountable because of concerns it would escalate the trade war with China. Catch up quick: The Commerce Department is increasingly at the center of scrutiny over the broader Trump administration's handling of an intelligence memo overseen by State Department head Marco Rubio. Lutnick was among the officials who received the report in May, ahead of a trip to China, Axios first reported. On Tuesday, the New York Times reported Commerce Undersecretary Kessler abruptly stopped an investigation into Megaspeed after Nvidia intervened. The Financial Times reported the department was delaying efforts to blacklist Megaspeed despite several U.S. government agencies pushing it to do so. Inside the room: White House and intelligence officials have pressed Lutnick and his top advisers to take action against Megaspeed since the fall of 2025, sources tell Axios. But they refused, so Bessent spoke up Thursday. "How come Megaspeed isn't o

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday the U.S. and China should have a “more balanced” trading relationship, days after President Trump said he expects to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month. “The U.S. trade imbalance with China has long been a source of friction,” Bessent said at the National Committee on U.S.-China…

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly relocated from his Washington-area residence to a military base after U.S. officials received an advance threat against his life from Iran. Bessent has played a central role in the Trump administration’s efforts to weaken Iran economically. He has overseen initiatives dubbed “Economic Fury” and “Economic Outcast,” which seek to […]

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was reportedly relocated to a military base as Iranian assassination plots against U.S. officials intensify.

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House Republicans block impeachment resolution that cited US military actions in Iran, Yemen and Venezuela. Plus, SS United States to be sunk to create artificial reef Good morning. House Republicans have blocked an effort to impeach Pete Hegseth . The defense secretary dismissed the impeachment resolution from a Republican lawmaker as “political spectacle”, saying it was an attempt to set up a “show trial” . Top Democrats announced their support for the resolution, but Republicans moved to kill it by referring it to the judiciary committee. Thomas Massie’s 34-page resolution, which he read aloud on the House floor, centered on the Iran war. Hegseth said the articles targeted not just him but the troops who carried out his orders. He insisted that every operation the articles cite – including strikes on Iran and Yemen, attacks on alleged drug boats and the capture of Venezuela’s now former leader Nicolás Maduro – was lawful, ordered by Donald Trump and notified to Congress. Why has the US Treasury chief reportedly moved? Scott Bessent has relocated from his home in the Washington area to a military base after an Iranian threat against his life, the New York Times reported. Bessent has led ‌the US sanctions and economic pressure campaign against Iran, called Operation Economic Outcast, since August. Continue reading...

Iran is said to have geo-located Bessent's $12.5m mansion in Washington, DC after a photo of it was published.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has relocated from his home in the Washington, D.C. area to a military base following an Iranian threat against his life, The New York Times reported.

Bessent, the driving force behind US push to cripple Iran’s economy, relocates reportedly over threat to his life The US Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has relocated from his home in the Washington area to a military base after an Iranian threat against his life, the New York Times reported on Tuesday . Bessent has spearheaded a US push to cripple Iran’s economy since the start of the Middle East war, vowing “economic asphyxiation” of the Islamic republic through a web of sanctions. Continue reading...

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has relocated with his family from his private residence to a military base after Iranian threats against his life escalated beyond an “advanced stage,” according to reports Tuesday. The post Report: ‘Advanced-Stage’ Iranian Threats Force Bessent, Architect of Trump’s Economic Warfare, into Military Housing appeared first on Breitbart .

During Xi's September visit, Washington and Beijing agreed to launch an AI dialogue with a communications channel to help defuse serious incidents.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking in New York at the National Committee on United States-China Relations, said that the aim of the US is to de-risk, not de-couple from China. Bessent added that the US is working to establish a "direct channel" that will allow both nations to alert the other to incidents involving their “super intelligence” — or AI — models. (Source: Bloomberg)

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hailed an improvement in US-China engagement ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Asian nation next week, and said he expects further dialogue on artificial intelligence models.

The Treasury secretary, who is leading an economic pressure campaign against Iran, is the latest Trump official to leave his home over security concerns.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is pressing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other Trump administration officials to end new tariffs and issue grocery reimbursements for Michigan residents being hit with rising prices. “The unpredictable federal tariff policy has left Michiganders with the highest tariff burden in the nation,” Whitmer wrote in a letter to Bessent.…

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has moved from his Washington-area home to a military base after Iranian threats against his life, according to a report published Tuesday. The New York Times, citing three people familiar with the matter, reported that Bessent recently relocated after American officials concluded that Iranian plots against current and former U.S. officials ...

JPMorgan Asset Management’s Bob Michele has some advice for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: get rid of the 20-year bond.

After Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent surprised dealers with his willingness to intervene in the bond market to drive down yields in recent months, Wall Street is now girding for the biggest revamp in guidance for US Treasuries issuance since early 2024.

The U.S.’s economic isolation campaign against Iran is “decimating” the country’s economy, according to a Treasury Department report released Friday.  The Trump administration launched its sweeping economic pressure campaign, dubbed Operation Economic Outcast, at the end of August. During a Wednesday appearance on CNBC, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the effort has been “very successful.”…

FBI Director Kash Patel and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Minnesota on Friday to announce 17 local anti-fraud raids — as Bessent chastised Gov. Tim Walz as "woefully negligent" in protecting public funds.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Democratic-led states Friday of having poor fraud prevention mechanisms while at a Minnesota press conference. The state has been at the center of a healthcare fraud scandal for much of this year after the Justice Department indicted more than a dozen people on accusations of defrauding taxpayers, using funds for…

The U.S. naval blockade, sweeping economic sanctions and obstruction of overland export routes have crippled Iran's economy and intensified pressure on the regime, according to a new Treasury Department report obtained by Axios. Why it matters: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is leading an economic pressure campaign dubbed "Operation Economic Outcast," is one of Trump's closest aides urging him to let the initiative play out rather than rush back into combat. Though the report doesn't argue that the Iranian regime is close to collapsing, it does lay out the Treasury Department's view that its efforts have crippled Iran's economy and limited its ability to generate revenue. Driving the news: As he did before Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025 and Operation Epic Fury in February, Trump is pursuing dual tracks — trying to reach a deal to restart peace talks while also preparing to possibly resume major combat operations after the midterms. The Treasury campaign, which launched in late August, is a third track. But U.S. officials say it needs more time to destabilize the regime and potentially convince the Iranian leadership to make concessions at the negotiations table. On Thursday, Trump met with his top national security and foreign policy aides to discuss the war. U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper, who commands forces in the Middle East, briefed Trump on the ongoing naval blockade . Bessent discussed the economic pressure campaign. "Bessent is telling the President the economic pressure campaign is working and that things are getting worse in Iran and that this could further destabilize the regime and push the Supreme Leader to agree to a deal," a U.S. official said. Zoom in: The Treasury report highlights several indicators of Iran's economic crisis: Currency collapse: The Iranian rial has lost roughly a quarter of its value since the operation began in August. In October, the unofficial exchange rate reached a record low of 2.687 million rials

Top Trump administration officials are set to announce new anti-fraud measures Friday in Minnesota as the White House steps up its crackdown on fraud involving federal assistance and healthcare programs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, FBI Director Kash Patel, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz and Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson will…

U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of forces in the Middle East, briefed President Trump Thursday on the state of the Iran war, with a focus on the ongoing naval blockade , according to two U.S. officials. Why it matters: As he did before Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025 and Operation Epic Fury in February, Trump is pursuing dual tracks — trying to reach a deal to restart peace talks while also preparing for a possible resumption of major combat operations after the midterms. Behind the scenes: Trump wanted to hear directly from the CENTCOM head on whether the naval blockade is working, the U.S. officials said. Cooper also briefed Trump on the military operation for guiding oil tankers out of the Strait of Hormuz to global energy markets. And he updated Trump on the economic pressure campaign the military is conducting in concert with the Treasury Department. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and other senior officials also attended the meeting, the officials said. The White House and CENTCOM declined to comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported the meeting. Driving the news: A group of regional mediators led by Qatar is trying to get the U.S. and Iran to head off a resumption of war after the midterms in favor of negotiations. "The mediation is at a very sensitive stage," a regional source said. Qatari mediators recently delivered a letter from Vice President Vance to Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Gen. Mohsen Rezaei. Vance proposed restarting negotiations but stressed that any talks would have to address Iran's nuclear program. Trump and Vance met Wednesday to discuss a possible gesture of goodwill toward Iran, such as sending humanitarian goods like food and medicine, according to a source with knowledge. Later in the day, Trump publicly backed the idea. What they're saying: U.S. Amba

With less than a week until a potentially historic midterm election , the political discourse is being dominated not by war or seismic shifts in technology, but by the Cheesecake Factory . The big picture: Culture wars regularly swarm American political discussions, especially when the jibes are personal. Former President Obama's passing joke over the weekend about Cheesecake Factory decor did just that — by criticizing President Trump 's personal taste and style. "He's got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory," Obama said, poking fun at the president's controversial White House renovations . Zoom in: John Murphy, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who studies political rhetoric, tells Axios that the first time he heard Obama's comment, he "really did think, 'this is going to go somewhere.'" That's both because of the messenger and the butt of the joke: Obama "can get under Trump's skin like no one else in the world can," he says. Obama knows all too well how seemingly trivial moments can blow up; in 2014, he wore a tan suit instead of a black one to discuss foreign policy, and years later his sartorial choices remain a political talking point. The tan suit has its own Wikipedia page , and still nets pop culture references . State of play: Days after Obama's quip, the news cycle and social media are still serving up the joke, and the White House posted "Lo-fi" beats accompanied by a cartoon image of Trump in front of a Cheesecake Factory. Conservative critics used the jab to paint Obama as elitist. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent , a multimillionaire, criticized Obama outside a Cheesecake Factory, saying he "had a great meal, and I would tell the Martha's Vineyard set to give it a try." Murphy notes that framing comes from a classic red v. blue playbook to paint Democrats as "elitist." "It's a conscious strategy, I think, on the part of conservative media to gin up culture-war arguments," he says. Th