Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made an off-color joke during an appearance on Fox News.
On Tuesday night’s episode of Jesse Watters Primetime, Bessent took Watters on a tour of the Treasury Department.
During the tour, Bessent took the time to promote President Trump’s “Trump Accounts” scheme, under which the government will establish $1,000 government-funded investment accounts for children born between 2025 and 2028.
“I think this is one of the great social benefits for young people since the G.I. bill,” Bessent said of the initiative.
“We’re having a lot of babies, we want people to have babies during the Trump administration,” Watters said, prompting Bessent to start listing members of the administration who have recently had children.
“The vice president’s done it, chief of staff, Karoline Leavitt,” Bessent said, as Watters interjected, adding Stephen Miller’s name to the list. Miller and his wife Katie announced the birth of their fourth child last month, while Leavitt and her husband welcomed a daughter on May 1. Vice President Vance and wife Usha are expecting their fourth child later this month.
“You guys are very busy,” Watters replied.
“We know what their hobby is,” Bessent quipped in response.
Bessent has two children with his husband, John Freeman, whom he married in 2011.
President Trump announced the Trump Accounts scheme in order to coincide with the country’s 250th anniversary, in an attempt to improve financial independence for American children.
Accounts opened for children born during Trump’s second term will automatically receive $1,000 that will then be invested in the stock market by private firms. Children will not be able to access the money until they turn 18, and even then, only for specific purposes, such as paying for a home or education.
Parents can also open accounts for older children as part of the scheme, but they will not receive the $1,000. Children born prior to 2025 and who live in ZIP codes where the median family income is below $150,000 will be eligible to receive $250 accounts funded by private donations.
Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Technologies, and his wife, Susan, have pledged $6.25 billion to the scheme, while Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron Technology, has pledged $250 million.
The president celebrated the launch of the scheme with a stunt in the Oval Office featuring several bored-looking children, all of whom were too old to benefit from the $1,000 investment.
Forced to listen to Trump speak for more than an hour, at least one child fell asleep while leaning against the Resolute Desk.
“People have been trying to do this for 30 years,” Trump said of the scheme before veering wildly off topic and speaking uninterrupted for 16 minutes straight. He then took questions for almost an hour as the children remained silent.
Singing the praises of Micron CEO Mehrotra for investing in the scheme, the president wrote on Truth Social on July 1, “This incredible gesture, made by Micron’s fantastic CEO, Sanjay Mehrotra, will make many children extremely happy some day in the not too distant future.”
“This is exactly what the fabulously successful TRUMP ACCOUNTS were created to do — Give every American Child a headstart, and a real chance to succeed,” he continued, before going on to praise his own efforts.
“My Policies are WORKING, and working ‘BIG.’ Our Country is doing far better than any country, anywhere in the World, and Companies like Micron are proving it every single day. THIS IS THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA!”
The scheme’s launch comes as Americans are more concerned than ever about inflation, the cost of living, and the economy. A major factor contributing to the president’s 59 percent disapproval rating is his handling of these concerns; the net approval rating for his handling of inflation is -43, the lowest of his second term to date.
