As Politzoom’s Murfster has noted many time, a courtroom and especially being part of a legal proceeding has a sobering effect on most people. It’s one thing to spout b.s. and even outright lies on TV or even OUTSIDE the courtroom. It’s quite another to do so when court is in session and someone is ‘on the record.’ Remember the 2020 election and how Trump’s lawyers made all kinds of while claims on courthouse steps but NOT in actual court? They knew the consequences of lying to judges. We’ve also seen that despite slavish devotion to Trump many aren’t willing to lie under oath for him. At least in court. Congress? Sure, but not with a judge sitting there next to them! That’s what makes Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s testimony so important.
Bessent found himself in court and under oath. As this article from Raw Story tells us he ‘blew a hole’ in Trump’s ridiculous claim of 15 TRILLION in foreign investment coming in due to Trumpty’s “tough guy” tariffs. That’s right, Team Trump and even attorney John Sauer (remember him?) in his court filing have been saying Trump’s tariffs have enabled him to secure pledges of fifteen trillion in foreign investment in the United States. It was b.s. and everyone knew it. However Trump’s tariffs have run into trouble in the courts and that led to Bessent being on the stand. More important, because he didn’t want to commit PERJRURY he painted a very different picture:
Bessent, however, provided some hard numbers in the legal filing, brought by Solicitor General John Sauer, that told a much smaller picture.
“The frameworks for trade agreements already in place contain additional provisions ‘whereby the trade partners agree to significant purchases from and/or investments in the United States (e.g., the European Union agreed to $750 billion in energy purchases and $600 billion in investment, and Japan and South Korea collectively agreed to about 1 trillion),” said the statement. “These agreed upon frameworks total in the multiple trillions of dollars. The longer the delay in a ruling, the greater these commitments will become. If these agreed upon frameworks were unwound and the investments and purchases had to be repaid, the economic consequences would be catastrophic.”
Bessent did his best to put lipstick on the Trump Tariff Pig with talk about catastrophic consequences if we don’t do everything exactly the way his Orange Painted Turd-God Emperor wants but what you should pay attention to is the difference between what Team Trump has claimed and the actual numbers Bessent was willing to testify to in court. Take note of his use of the term ‘multiple trillions.’ I hear or read that and I think three or four trillion (or million – whatever) at least. However when you add up what Bessent was willing to say UNDER OATH it totals $2.35 trillion. Not even three trillion and sure as hell not even in the parking lot of the $15 trillion ballpark.
Trump people are sometimes sworn in before testifying to Congress and sometimes have lied. Committed perjury but they get away with it. However, both in the first term and now it seems in a courtroom perjuring themselves on Trump’s behalf is a line some aren’t willing to cross. Including as we see Bessent. Think about it. It’s not like AG Bondi would allow charges to even be filed but if she saw Bessent as a rival even if she did Trump could just pardon him. Hell, he hands out pardons like Ronny Jackson hands out pills.
However, Bessent is thinking longer term. If a different administration’s DOJÂ were to go back and charge him because he repeated the Team Trump bullshit and gave specific numbers that turned out to be way inflated or simply not true (as in no deal with a given country having ever been reached)Â he’d be on the hook for perjury. And he doesn’t trust Trump to pardon him on the way out the door!
Major news outlets are so cowed by Trump this hasn’t blown up into a leading story even though it’s got the legs to do so. Trump’s claims. The actual amount of pledged investment being a fraction of said claims. And the Solicitor General issuing a filing backing Trump but a Treasury Secretary that refused to perjure himself for Trump. I suspect Bessent is sweating bullets hoping this doesn’t in fact turn into a major story.
If news outlets grow a spine and cover this with the level of attention it deserves Trump will be in what for him is a no-win situation. He can admit his claims were ‘overly optimistic, at least for now’ or be forced to admit the truth with some finger pointing at whomever gave him ‘bad information’ on ‘deals having been completed.’ However THAT would mean having to fire Bessent.
On the one hand Trump would want to because NOT lying for him under oath is to Trump disloyalty. No doubt if Trump didn’t think of it himself someone who has an ax to grind with Bessent would point out that it meant Bessent didn’t trust he’d get a pardon. That too would be seen as the kind of disloyalty that would infuriate Trump. On the other hand FIRING Bessent would admit having made a mistake appointing him in the first place and that simply won’t do. Worse, it would generate a rash of “Did you fire him because he wouldn’t LIE for you in court?” questions.
Well, as I said this might blow over and get lost in the noise of Epstein files and government shutdowns and so on. Still, keep an eye out because if there’s a slow news day it could blow up. Bigly.
Punt to Congress!!!!
The pledges and frameworks have no backing by the governments parliaments for spending appropriations or private sector companies investments and there’s no talk of this anywhere, it’s all smoke and mirrors and complete BS. All of it was to give T rump right wing talking points and then he’d leave them alone for a while. Follow the real money, doesn’t appear to be there.