Podcast Episode Details
Back to Podcast Episodes
"Treasury Secretary Advocates for Dramatic Rate Cuts, Defends Economic Data Reporting"
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has dominated economic headlines in recent days by advocating for lower interest rates and defending key aspects of economic reporting. According to Bloomberg Television and multiple news outlets, Bessent stated that the Federal Reserve’s current interest rate of between four point two five and four point five percent is far too high. He argues that rates should be at least one point five to one point seven five percent lower. He told Bloomberg TV that the Federal Reserve should begin a series of rate cuts, with an initial cut of fifty basis points as soon as September.
He said the Federal Reserve committee should step back and reconsider its approach, echoing President Trump’s criticism of the Fed’s reluctance to cut rates. As reported by UPI, Bessent supports a more aggressive pace of rate reductions, believing current monetary policy is overly restrictive given today's economic indicators. Markets reacted positively, with treasuries rallying and stocks reaching new highs following Bessent’s comments.
In a closely watched interview with Fox Business, Bessent also addressed the ongoing debate over the country’s key economic data. He pushed back against suggestions from some Trump administration allies about suspending the monthly jobs report due to concerns about accuracy and data revisions. Instead, Bessent argued for modernizing the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ data collection and making the reports more reliable, not less frequent. He emphasized that sound policymaking requires robust and timely data, suggesting more investment in digital infrastructure to improve sample collection and reporting.
Turning to trade, Fortune and Politico Pro report that Bessent has endorsed a controversial new deal between Nvidia, AMD, and the U.S. government, requiring both companies to pay fifteen percent of their China chip sales to the U.S. as a condition of export. Bessent called this a blueprint for future industry deals, stating that it could help reduce national debt and possibly benefit taxpayers if the experiment proves successful. However, this move has sparked debate among legal experts, as imposing such export revenue-sharing without explicit congressional approval is highly unusual.
On sanctions policy, he signaled a flexible approach, saying that further increases or easing of sanctions against Russia remain on the table as global conditions evolve.
Listeners, thank you for tuning in. Remember to subscribe for the latest. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
Published on 2 weeks ago