Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reassured the American public that he has no long-term concerns about the stock market, addressing anxieties among investors worried about their retirement savings. Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Bessent downplayed last week’s sharp market decline, the worst since 2023, citing Warren Buffett’s philosophy that markets act as a "voting machine" in the short term but a "weighing machine" over time.
"I'm not concerned about the markets in the long run," he stated, emphasizing that strong tax policies, deregulation, and energy security would drive future growth.
Market volatility has been fueled by President Donald Trump’s escalating trade tensions, leading to a turbulent week on Wall Street, where all three major indexes closed in negative territory.
Bessent highlighted April 2 as a key date, marking the introduction of reciprocal tariffs aimed at prompting other nations to lower their own trade barriers. He framed this approach as a "win-win" scenario, arguing that reduced tariff barriers would enable greater U.S. exports and create a fairer trade landscape. However, he urged observers to evaluate the broader impact through the end of June, as global markets adjust to these new policies.