General Discussion

Septua

(2,950 posts) Thu Aug 7, 2025, 08:25 PM Aug 2025

Trump's gaslighting revealed at last

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/scott-bessent-admits-americans-pay-trump-tariffs-1235403145/

On Thursday at midnight, steep retaliatory tariffs Donald Trump slapped on dozens of countries went into effect. “IT’S MIDNIGHT!!! BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TARIFFS ARE NOW FLOWING INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!” the president wrote on Truth Social minutes before the levies snapped into effect.

The cash isn't flowing into the United States, it's flowing out of the importers' bank accounts.

Hours later, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on MSNBC, where he was gently coaxed into admitting that while the government might rake in plenty from the new taxes, American businesses and consumers are the ones paying the penalties.

Bessent first stated that tariffed Brazilian imports could simply be replaced with “substitutes” from other nations, before being pressed by Robinson to clarify “who writes the check to the Treasury,” if the product does come from a tariffed nation like Brazil.

“Well, the check is written to the person who receives it at the dock, in the U.S.” Bessent replied.

“The check is written by the person, the receiver. So the tariff is paid in this country by the importer. Is that right?” Robinson pressed. Bessent then said that the exporter could lower their price to retain market share. Robinson pressed again: “But the check is written by the importer, at the dock?

“Yep,” Bessent said. “And the importer can pass it on or not.”

Bessent's days as Treasury Secretary may be coming to an end.

11 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Trump's gaslighting revealed at last (Original Post) Septua Aug 2025 OP

Republicans fuck the importer and, to lessen the burden BOSSHOG Aug 2025 #1

some truth RussBLib Aug 2025 #2

It is always a shell game Inkey Aug 2025 #3

Cost of Coffee MissouriDem47 Aug 2025 #4

Wow!!! Septua Aug 2025 #7

we've reduced our purchases RussBLib Aug 2025 #9

He keeps pretending moondust Aug 2025 #5

Sure all that money is going into the U.S. Treasury. LudwigPastorius Aug 2025 #6

trump's... myohmy2 Aug 2025 #8

The tariff is not on a country; it's on goods coming from that country and is paid by the businesses Sogo Aug 2025 #10

Uh huh... DET Aug 2025 #11

BOSSHOG

(44,738 posts)

1. Republicans fuck the importer and, to lessen the burden

Reply to Septua (Original post)

Thu Aug 7, 2025, 08:53 PM

Aug 2025

The importer can fuck the consumer. Whether the importer fucks the consumer has nothing to do with conservative trade policy. President Trump has nothing to do with the importers sex life. He’s not a pervert.

Bessent probably wants his time at treasury come to an end.

RussBLib

(10,423 posts)

2. some truth

Reply to Septua (Original post)

Thu Aug 7, 2025, 09:14 PM

Aug 2025

holy mother of god!!

Inkey

(483 posts)

3. It is always a shell game

Reply to Septua (Original post)

Thu Aug 7, 2025, 09:36 PM

Aug 2025

With this administration and republicans
in general. They stick us with their tab
with nothing useful for the rest of us.

MissouriDem47

(395 posts)

4. Cost of Coffee

Reply to Septua (Original post)

Thu Aug 7, 2025, 10:09 PM

Aug 2025

The size of Folgers coffee we were buying for $10.98 at the start of the year, today at the same store was $18.59. I am sure the cost will continue to rise.

Septua

(2,950 posts)

7. Wow!!!

Reply to MissouriDem47 (Reply #4)

Thu Aug 7, 2025, 10:35 PM

Aug 2025

That will expose some gaslighting...

RussBLib

(10,423 posts)

9. we've reduced our purchases

Reply to MissouriDem47 (Reply #4)

Thu Aug 7, 2025, 11:02 PM

Aug 2025

...for some reason, the K-Cups have not increased in price like ground coffee, yet, but of course the K-Cups have their own problems.

Don't fucking mess with our coffee!!

These idiots seem to think we can just grow coffee in America, and poof! Problem solved. SMDH. Uh, climate issues, sir. Kill the woke!!

https://russblib.blogspot.com

moondust

(21,203 posts)

5. He keeps pretending

Reply to Septua (Original post)

Thu Aug 7, 2025, 10:19 PM

Aug 2025

that he's taxing other countries. Perhaps he knows his supporters are stupid enough to believe it so he keeps it up.

LudwigPastorius

(14,161 posts)

6. Sure all that money is going into the U.S. Treasury.

Reply to Septua (Original post)

Thu Aug 7, 2025, 10:27 PM

Aug 2025

If you believe Trump isn't skimming these taxes into a personal offshore account, you're naive.

It's what tinpot dictators DO.

myohmy2

(3,705 posts)

8. trump's...

Reply to Septua (Original post)

Thu Aug 7, 2025, 10:56 PM

Aug 2025

...good for something...

...with his presidency trump's demonstrating just how far we'll be able go demanding our agenda by hammering capital and the economy with the might of the federal government when we take the presidency...

...and if for some reason we no longer remain a democracy, then all bets are off...

...hang in there...

Sogo

(6,982 posts)

10. The tariff is not on a country; it's on goods coming from that country and is paid by the businesses

Reply to Septua (Original post)

Thu Aug 7, 2025, 11:04 PM

Aug 2025

and people from this country.

The only "threat" to that foreign country is that business and people from this country might decide not to buy the goods from that foreign country.

DET

(2,369 posts)

11. Uh huh...

Reply to Septua (Original post)

Thu Aug 7, 2025, 11:55 PM

Aug 2025

I saw that. Loved it when Bessent said ‘the exporter could lower their price to retain market share’. Followed by ‘And the importer can pass it on or not.’ Sure, the entire business community is happy to get screwed to cover up for Trump’s incompetence. And you know that Trump will blame Bessent when the economy blows up. Bessent has gotten better at bullshitting, but it’s clear that he doesn’t take pure unadulterated joy in it like most of Trump’s minions.

Reply to this discussion