Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Aug 21
Trump Says Bessent Made Bond Market Intervention Call on His Own
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Aug 21

Trump Says Bessent Made Bond Market Intervention Call on His Own

3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Aug 21

Summary

  • Trump told reporters Friday he did not direct Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to intervene in the bond market, saying the decision was Bessent’s alone.
  • “No, not at all,” Trump said when asked whether he had pushed for the move, adding that Bessent “wanted to do it.”
  • Trump framed the intervention as an exercise of the Treasury secretary’s own authority, describing Bessent as “a very capable man” who is “very good at it.”

Insights

Why did the Treasury Secretary launch an unprecedented bond intervention alone, and what hidden economic risks is he fighting?
Is the administration distancing itself from the bond intervention because experts fear this experimental strategy might ultimately fail?