Scott Bessent Straight Up Asks House Democrat to Say Sorry to Trump: ‘I Have Nothing to Apologize to This President For!’

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent straight up asked Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) if he wanted to offer an apology to President Donald Trump during a heated back-and-forth at a Thursday House hearing.

Schneider and others pressed Bessent on inflation, the ongoing Iran conflict, rising fuel prices, and Americans’ confidence in the state of the economy.

Bessent argued that core inflation is in a better position than when Trump first took office in a fiery exchange with Schneider that led to the lawmaker screaming, “This is my time! I will speak!”

Things got heated again when Schneider blasted Trump over a reported settlement deal that would see him drop a $10 billion IRS lawsuit in exchange for audits against him and his family being dropped. A now-cancelled part of this deal was a fund worth billions that critics torched as a “slush fund” for political allies. Trump sued the IRS over the leaking of his past tax returns.

“Do you believe that there should be only one legal system in this country and that no one, even the president, should be above the law?” Schneider asked.

“I believe that no one is above the law, but you all have put the president beneath the law and you have weaponized the system against him, whether it is the leak of his taxpayer records—” Bessent said as Schneider jumped back in.

“His taxes should never be leaked. No taxpayer’s information should be leaked, I agree with you on that. But note, let me ask you a separate question,” he said.

“Then, congressman, would you like to apologize to the president right now on behalf of the [Democrats]?” Bessent asked.

“I have nothing to apologize to this president for. His taxes should not have been leaked, but they were leaked by a contractor. And you keep trying to dissemble here and avoid the questions,” Schneider fired back.

Check out the full exchange below:

BRAD SCHNEIDER: Are you saying that cost of living is lower today than it was a year ago?

SCOTT BESSENT: I am saying that we are much closer to the Fed’s target rate of 2% on core inflation than we were when President Trump came into office. We are at 2.8%. And you can list off the most expensive groceries that have had the biggest price increases. I got a chart here—

SCHNEIDER: I think you’re just out of touch with what American families are facing. As my colleague noted, I’m reclaiming my time, tariffs are a tax on American families. This is my time Mr. Secretary. This is my time! I will speak! Higher grocery prices are taxes on American families. Higher gas and electricity prices are tax on Americans.

BESSENT: Well, Democrats should know. No wonder so many people are leaving Illinois. Why don’t you come see me in South Carolina?

SCHNEIDER: They’re not leaving. They’re coming along. Just a simple question, Mr. Secretary—

BESSENT: You’re saying Illinois doesn’t have net outbound migration?

SCHNEIDER: Alright, let me take it to a different topic. And I know you don’t want to address it, but my constituents are outraged and want me to talk to you about the absurd illegal self-dealing settlement between President Trump and his family with the Justice Department and the IRS over which you have jurisdiction. The administration apparently believes that there should be two systems of justice, two sets of laws, one for the president and his family and his rich friends, like you, and one for rest of us. Nothing demonstrates this more than the so-called settlement with its slush fund for insurrectionists and tax immunity for the president and his family. Mr. Secretary, simple question. Do you believe that there should be only one legal system in this country and that no one, even the president, should be above the law?

BESSENT: I believe that no one is above the law, but you all have put the president beneath the law and you have weaponized the system against him, whether it is the leak of his taxpayer records—

SCHNEIDER: His taxes should never be leaked. No taxpayer’s information should be leaked, I agree with you on that. But note, let me ask you a separate question.

BESSENT: Then, congressman, would you like to apologize to the president right now on behalf of the—

SCHNEIDER: I have nothing to apologize to this president for. His taxes should not have been leaked, but they were leaked by a contractor. And you keep trying to dissemble here and avoid the questions. Do you believe that all Americans should pay the taxes they owe and not admit penny more?

BESSENT: 100%.

SCHNEIDER: Alright, so do you think it applies to the president of the United States irrespective of whether the president is a Democrat or a Republican?

BESSENT: Yes.

SCHNEIDER: Okay. So we agree on this and we should have a tax system that is fair and should be applied fairly to all people. But I can tell you that my constituents are outraged by the agreement the president made with himself and his own Justice Department that excluded him from ever having an audit over his taxes. No one should be targeted. No one should be targeted by the administration whoever is in the White House. Their taxes should be paid, and they should be confident that that information will be kept confidential with the IRS and not used to target them, their families, or their business.

BESSENT: Couldn’t agree more.

Watch above via CSPAN.

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