Everyone’s always saying that the Democrats need to learn to talk like Real Americans and appeal more to their economic needs and desires. I guess this must be what they’re talking about. Billionaires babbling about how Americans don’t need any more “baubles” and evoking Marie Antoinette.

Duly noted.

Here’s the transcript of most of Bessent’s interview. He is a tool. He either knows better and is lying or he’s a fool. If there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that some of these guys can be billionaires but it doesn’t make them smart so who knows? Maybe he actually believes that painted orange freak knows what he’s doing.

KRISTEN WELKER:

And joining me now is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Secretary Bessent, welcome to Meet The Press.

SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:Kristen, good to see you.

KRISTEN WELKER:

It’s wonderful to have you here. Thank you for being here in person. Let’s start off by talking about the big picture on the economy. A majority of Americans say they disapprove of President Trump’s handling of the economy. Consumer sentiment plunged this week to a 29-month low. JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs slashed growth expectations. Why are all of those folks wrong and President Trump is right about his tariff policy?

SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:

Well, Kristen, and thanks for having me here. And look, what I am not going to say that went on for a long time under the Biden administration and for a lot of the media, and I’m not going to point fingers. But they used to say it was a “vibecession,” and the American people don’t know what they talk about. And Donald Trump, his administration, myself all believe that the American people know what they’re feeling. And that we believe that our policies will change that. Clearly, they are traumatized from what’s happened with this affordability crisis that was brought on by the previous administration. They want relief. We’ve been in for eight weeks. We are putting the policies in place that will make the affordability crisis go down, inflation moderate. And that as we set the sails, I am confident that the American people will come our way, even if some of the media narrative doesn’t.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Well, and just to be clear, I mean, these are polls that are taken two months into President Trump’s presidency. But let’s talk about what happened in the stock market this week. Worst week for the market in two years. Does that worry you, Mr. Secretary?

SEC. SCOTT BESSENT:

Not at all. I’ve been in the investment business for 35 years. And I can tell you that corrections are healthy. They’re normal. What’s not healthy is straight-up, that is euphoric markets. That’s how you get a financial crisis. It would have been healthier if someone had put the brakes on in ’06-’07. We wouldn’t have had the problems in ’08. So I’m not worried about the markets. Over the long term, if we put good tax policy in place, deregulation, and energy security, the markets will do great.

KRISTEN WELKER:

I hear you say you’re not worried about the markets. But nearly 60% of Americans are invested in the markets. That’s their retirement savings. What do you say to Americans who have real concerns that their retirement savings may be in jeopardy?

(truncated - please read Digby's post.)

There’s more and it’s all BS.

I think I miss Steve Mnuchin.