Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) clashed with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the Trump administration’s economic and foreign policy during a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing.
Sen. Warnock continues to push back against the Trump administration’s economic policy. He has continued to critique the current tariff policy and the uncertain market conditions created by the war against Iran.
The exchange began with Sen. Warnock asking Secretary Bessent to grade the state of the American economy. He asked Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh this same question last month and didn’t get the answer he wanted.
Secretary Bessent responded, “I think we have the makings of one of the strongest economies in history. We’ve had 2.6% growth, and core inflation has dropped. Food inflation, since President Trump began—as much as you all want to disagree—is 2.5%.”
Sen. Warnock didn’t appreciate this answer either. He responded, “So, you’re telling Americans it’s not so bad. Americans give the Trump economy a failing grade. You and I can disagree, but this is not about us. They give the economy a failing grade because they can’t afford anything.”
The National Debt
The Senator then probed for an answer on debt, lambasting the One Big Beautiful Bill and its tax cut provisions. He cited the Congressional Budget Office, which claims that the bill will add $5 trillion to the national debt.
He then asked, “Do you still think that driving deeper into debt to extend billionaire tax cuts was a good investment?”
Secretary Scott Bessent rejected the premise of the question, stating, “I disagree with the categorization of billionaire tax cuts, when in fact most of the tax cuts went to work for ordinary Americans.”
Sen. Warnock rejected this answer and challenged the Secretary to talk to real people.
He responded, “Well, you should talk to the people in Georgia. They will tell you, sir, that whatever tax relief you think you gave them was more than taken up by these tariffs; they, according to the Yale Budget Lab, the administration’s tariffs cost families three times as much as they got back in tax cuts.”
This administration has a simple economic agenda: Massive tax breaks for billionaires, tariffs and higher prices for you. pic.twitter.com/hHZKoZW9hq
— Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (@SenatorWarnock) June 3, 2026
