Fact

Donald J. Trump

Transcripts White House Calendar White House Press Releases

Press Briefing: Scott Bessent Speaks to Reporters Outside the White House - August 20, 2026

StressLens

9 Topics

10 Entities

Moderation

2 Speakers

Topics

Economy, Business and Finance > Economy Economy, Business and Finance > Economy > Macro Economics > Tariff Politics > Government Science and Technology > Social Sciences > Economics Politics Economy, Business and Finance > Economy > Macro Economics > Prices Economy, Business and Finance > Economy > Macro Economics > Economic Indicator > Gross Domestic Prod Economy, Business and Finance > Economy > Macro Economics > Credit and Debt Politics > Government > Government Budget

Entities

action

actions

anything

bonanza

bonds

people

Scott Bessent

Secretary

sir

Sir

Moderation

No moderation found

Speakers

Scott Bessent

Scott Bessent said 31 sentences of a total of 57 sentences.

55%

Scott Bessent said 480 words of a total of 653 words.

74%

Scott Bessent talked 166 seconds of a total of 228 seconds.

73%

Question

Question said 26 sentences of a total of 57 sentences.

46%

Question said 173 words of a total of 653 words.

27%

Question talked 60 seconds of a total of 228 seconds.

27%

Full Transcript

Question

00:00:00-00:00:02 (2 sec)

No StressLens

Secretary Bessent, got a moment please sir?

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

7.4

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

54.7

Gunning-Fog Score

2.8

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

Automated Readability Index

5.6

Dale-Chall Readability Score

4.9

Sprache Readability Score

1.8

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:00:02-00:00:03 (1 sec)

No StressLens

I'll take a couple of questions.

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

4.5

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

73.8

Gunning-Fog Score

9.1

Coleman-Liau Index

8.7

SMOG Index

Automated Readability Index

1.2

Dale-Chall Readability Score

5.6

Sprache Readability Score

1.6

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:00:03-00:00:05 (2 sec)

No StressLens

Sir, one question, a quick question about bonds.

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

3.8

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

82.4

Gunning-Fog Score

3.2

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

3.3

Automated Readability Index

4.9

Dale-Chall Readability Score

2.4

Sprache Readability Score

1.9

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:00:05-00:00:05 ( sec)

No StressLens

[Inaudible]

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

Gunning-Fog Score

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

Automated Readability Index

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:00:05-00:00:13 (9 sec)

No Signal (0)

Uh, Mr. Secretary, all bonds have erased gains after your action yesterday. Do you have further actions planned, and what's your reaction to how they've done?

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

5.5

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

71.1

Gunning-Fog Score

9.6

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

9.9

Automated Readability Index

5.5

Dale-Chall Readability Score

5.9

Sprache Readability Score

2.8

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:00:13-00:00:39 (26 sec)

No Signal (0)

Yeah, well, look, a- -- anything that happens within a 24-hour period is noise. And, you know, I, I think that once the market understands that we are focusing on fiscal consolidation and that we are, uh, trying to bring the market back into equilibrium, uh, in, in a thinly traded market, I think, uh, you know, I'm confident that bonds will continue declining.

Sentiment

Topics

Topic:

Science and Technology > Social Sciences > Economics

Score:

0.536

Code:

20000745

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000745

Wikidata_id:

Q8134

Wikidata_label:

economics

Source:

IPTC Media

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

50.1

Gunning-Fog Score

18.4

Coleman-Liau Index

9.5

SMOG Index

Automated Readability Index

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:00:39-00:00:53 (14 sec)

No Signal (0)

We've got a spike in oil prices today that I don't really understand. You know, our announcement is for, uh, economics, uh, action, and I think that the economic action will mean that oil prices will come down sooner.

Sentiment

Topics

Topic:

Science and Technology > Social Sciences > Economics

Score:

0.569

Code:

20000745

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000745

Wikidata_id:

Q8134

Wikidata_label:

economics

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Economy, Business and Finance > Products and Services > Energy and Resource

Score:

0.536

Code:

20000256

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000256

Wikidata_id:

Q2151621

Wikidata_label:

energy industry

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Economy, Business and Finance > Economy

Score:

0.516

Code:

20000344

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000344

Wikidata_id:

Q159810

Wikidata_label:

economy

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Science and Technology

Score:

0.509

Code:

13000000

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/13000000

Wikidata_id:

Q34104

Wikidata_label:

science and technology

Source:

IPTC Media

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

9.3

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

63.4

Gunning-Fog Score

12.9

Coleman-Liau Index

9.7

SMOG Index

Automated Readability Index

8.7

Dale-Chall Readability Score

4.2

Sprache Readability Score

3.9

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:00:53-00:00:56 (2 sec)

No StressLens

[Inaudible] Secretary? Secretary?

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

Gunning-Fog Score

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

Automated Readability Index

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

0.9

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:00:56-00:00:57 (1 sec)

No StressLens

Mr. Secretary --

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

Gunning-Fog Score

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

7.3

Automated Readability Index

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

0.9

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:00:57-00:00:57 ( sec)

No StressLens

[Inaudible]

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

Gunning-Fog Score

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

Automated Readability Index

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:00:57-00:01:06 (8 sec)

No Signal (0)

--- yeah, if you could, yeah, if you could answer facing the cameras. But, um, for the $40 trillion mark that we passed for the national debt, would you comment on that and how do we reverse that?

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

6.3

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

82.9

Gunning-Fog Score

10.6

Coleman-Liau Index

7.3

SMOG Index

10.3

Automated Readability Index

6.3

Dale-Chall Readability Score

5.2

Sprache Readability Score

3.7

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:01:06-00:01:42 (36 sec)

No Signal (0)

Yeah, it is, look. Uh, the, the 40 trillion is a big number. Uh, it is smaller when we look at the publicly traded amount because our social security funds and other government entities hold a substantial amount. And, you know, what we're gonna do? We're gonna have to grow our way out of this. And, uh, as I talked about, at, at G20 in Asheville, we are going to talk about the US growth strategy and encourage the rest of the world to come along with us. We are also, uh, you know, I, I announced that, uh, Director Russ Vought and I, uh, have been tasked with looking at fiscal consolidation.

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

6.9

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

74.4

Gunning-Fog Score

9.6

Coleman-Liau Index

7.6

SMOG Index

10.4

Automated Readability Index

5.4

Dale-Chall Readability Score

5.4

Sprache Readability Score

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:01:42-00:02:04 (22 sec)

No Signal (0)

I think the numbers have, uh, are not the actual numbers now. We've had to do substantial tariff refunds due to the court ruling. Uh, but they, with the Section 301 tariffs, I am confident that we will be back to a, uh, the same level, if not higher, of tariff income for last year. And that is most of the increase in the deficit.

Sentiment

Topics

Topic:

Politics > Government Policy > Taxation

Score:

0.639

Code:

20000620

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000620

Wikidata_id:

Q8161

Wikidata_label:

tax

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Economy, Business and Finance > Economy > Macro Economics > Tariff

Score:

0.629

Code:

20000384

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000384

Wikidata_id:

Q52389

Wikidata_label:

tariff

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Politics

Score:

0.614

Code:

11000000

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/11000000

Wikidata_id:

Q7163

Wikidata_label:

politics

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Economy, Business and Finance > Economy

Score:

0.577

Code:

20000344

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000344

Wikidata_id:

Q159810

Wikidata_label:

economy

Source:

IPTC Media

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

Gunning-Fog Score

Coleman-Liau Index

6.8

SMOG Index

Automated Readability Index

4.8

Dale-Chall Readability Score

4.4

Sprache Readability Score

3.9

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:02:04-00:02:21 (17 sec)

No Signal (0)

And remember, we did not get here in a day, that we were left with a mess. The Biden administration had the highest deficit to GDP in history when we weren't at war or weren't in a recession. For 2025, we brought it down by more than a percent.

Sentiment

Topics

Topic:

Economy, Business and Finance > Economy

Score:

0.603

Code:

20000344

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000344

Wikidata_id:

Q159810

Wikidata_label:

economy

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Science and Technology > Social Sciences > Economics

Score:

0.552

Code:

20000745

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000745

Wikidata_id:

Q8134

Wikidata_label:

economics

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Economy, Business and Finance > Economy > Macro Economics > Recession

Score:

0.55

Code:

20000383

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000383

Wikidata_id:

Q176494

Wikidata_label:

recession

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Economy, Business and Finance > Economy > Macro Economics > Economic Indicator > Gross Domestic Prod

Score:

0.519

Code:

20000359

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000359

Wikidata_id:

Q12638

Wikidata_label:

gross domestic product

Source:

IPTC Media

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

6.7

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

76.3

Gunning-Fog Score

10.6

Coleman-Liau Index

6.3

SMOG Index

10.6

Automated Readability Index

4.4

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

3.5

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:02:21-00:02:25 (4 sec)

No StressLens

First Mr. Secretary, okay, so President Trump saying --

Sentiment

Topics

Topic:

Politics

Score:

0.663

Code:

11000000

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/11000000

Wikidata_id:

Q7163

Wikidata_label:

politics

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Politics > Government

Score:

0.613

Code:

20000593

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000593

Wikidata_id:

Q7188

Wikidata_label:

government

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Politics > Government > Heads of State

Score:

0.507

Code:

20000610

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000610

Wikidata_id:

Q48352

Wikidata_label:

head of state

Source:

IPTC Media

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

6.6

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

54.7

Gunning-Fog Score

6.6

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

7.3

Automated Readability Index

5.3

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

1.6

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:02:25-00:02:26 (1 sec)

No StressLens

Wait. Wait. Wait, wait.

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

100

Gunning-Fog Score

0.5

Coleman-Liau Index

7.5

SMOG Index

3.3

Automated Readability Index

Dale-Chall Readability Score

0.1

Sprache Readability Score

0.8

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:02:26-00:02:26 ( sec)

No StressLens

Neil --

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

100

Gunning-Fog Score

0.4

Coleman-Liau Index

7.5

SMOG Index

3.3

Automated Readability Index

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

0.9

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:02:26-00:02:27 (1 sec)

No StressLens

Secretary?

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

Gunning-Fog Score

0.4

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

Automated Readability Index

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

0.9

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:02:27-00:02:28 ( sec)

No StressLens

Wait.

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

100

Gunning-Fog Score

0.4

Coleman-Liau Index

7.5

SMOG Index

3.3

Automated Readability Index

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

0.8

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:02:28-00:02:30 (3 sec)

No StressLens

-- Neil McCabe. Neil McCabe.

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

2.9

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

77.9

Gunning-Fog Score

0.8

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

3.3

Automated Readability Index

3.1

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

1.1

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:02:30-00:02:51 (21 sec)

No Signal (0)

Debt, Mr. Secretary, uh, uh, Target received a $1 billion refund for tariffs. What does that say about the besides the fact that it was done so quickly and efficiently with refund. But what does it say about the amount of Chinese-made goods and foreign-made goods that our retailers are still selling in the United States?

Sentiment

Topics

Topic:

Economy, Business and Finance > Economy

Score:

0.696

Code:

20000344

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000344

Wikidata_id:

Q159810

Wikidata_label:

economy

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Politics

Score:

0.563

Code:

11000000

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/11000000

Wikidata_id:

Q7163

Wikidata_label:

politics

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Science and Technology > Social Sciences > Economics

Score:

0.536

Code:

20000745

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000745

Wikidata_id:

Q8134

Wikidata_label:

economics

Source:

IPTC Media

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

6.7

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

72.5

Gunning-Fog Score

8.6

Coleman-Liau Index

10.1

SMOG Index

9.7

Automated Readability Index

6.5

Dale-Chall Readability Score

5.3

Sprache Readability Score

3.9

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:02:51-00:03:19 (28 sec)

No Signal (0)

Yeah. Well, what, what it says is that the Democratic Attorney Generals who filed a ridiculous lawsuit against this administration wanted the money to go back to the payer of record. So, that is corporate welfare. The American people had that money. And if I hear another Democratic legislator say, make the inane remark, "The American people should get the money," the American people had the money in the US Treasury and we were forced to give it back.

Sentiment

Topics

Topic:

Science and Technology > Social Sciences > Economics

Score:

0.536

Code:

20000745

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000745

Wikidata_id:

Q8134

Wikidata_label:

economics

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Economy, Business and Finance > Economy

Score:

0.505

Code:

20000344

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000344

Wikidata_id:

Q159810

Wikidata_label:

economy

Source:

IPTC Media

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

9.8

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

52.7

Gunning-Fog Score

8.9

Coleman-Liau Index

11.2

SMOG Index

Automated Readability Index

8.1

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

4.1

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:03:19-00:03:35 (16 sec)

No Signal (0)

But the, using the 301s, which have survived more than 5,000 suits, that we will get that tariff income back. Uh, but what you are seeing is that we don't know the discount that Target got from the Chinese supplies.

Sentiment

Topics

Topic:

Politics

Score:

0.518

Code:

11000000

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/11000000

Wikidata_id:

Q7163

Wikidata_label:

politics

Source:

IPTC Media

Topic:

Economy, Business and Finance > Economy

Score:

0.517

Code:

20000344

Url:

https://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/mediatopic/20000344

Wikidata_id:

Q159810

Wikidata_label:

economy

Source:

IPTC Media

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

6.5

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

84.9

Gunning-Fog Score

9.2

Coleman-Liau Index

7.3

SMOG Index

7.3

Automated Readability Index

7.3

Dale-Chall Readability Score

4.1

Sprache Readability Score

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:03:35-00:03:36 (1 sec)

No StressLens

Ah, got you.

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

100

Gunning-Fog Score

1.2

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

3.3

Automated Readability Index

Dale-Chall Readability Score

0.1

Sprache Readability Score

1.1

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Scott Bessent

00:03:36-00:03:41 (5 sec)

No Signal (0)

So, uh, you know, th- -- this is a corporate bonanza, which I said it would be at the top.

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

6.1

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

85.1

Gunning-Fog Score

11.8

Coleman-Liau Index

3.7

SMOG Index

11.3

Automated Readability Index

3.7

Dale-Chall Readability Score

4.3

Sprache Readability Score

3.3

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:03:41-00:03:43 (2 sec)

No StressLens

Secretary, real quick, message from Iran, sir --

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

9.1

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

42.6

Gunning-Fog Score

2.8

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

Automated Readability Index

6.3

Dale-Chall Readability Score

4.9

Sprache Readability Score

1.8

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:03:43-00:03:44 (1 sec)

No StressLens

Thank you for coming.

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

0.7

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

Gunning-Fog Score

1.6

Coleman-Liau Index

9.2

SMOG Index

3.3

Automated Readability Index

0.6

Dale-Chall Readability Score

0.2

Sprache Readability Score

1.2

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:03:44-00:03:45 ( sec)

No StressLens

-- sir?

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

100

Gunning-Fog Score

0.4

Coleman-Liau Index

1.6

SMOG Index

3.3

Automated Readability Index

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

0.9

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:03:45-00:03:45 ( sec)

No StressLens

[Inaudible]

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

Gunning-Fog Score

Coleman-Liau Index

SMOG Index

Automated Readability Index

Dale-Chall Readability Score

Sprache Readability Score

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count

Question

00:03:45-00:03:48 (3 sec)

No StressLens

Message from Iran, sir?

Sentiment

Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade

3.7

Flesch-Kincaid Ease

75.9

Gunning-Fog Score

1.6

Coleman-Liau Index

10.6

SMOG Index

3.3

Automated Readability Index

1.8

Dale-Chall Readability Score

4.1

Sprache Readability Score

1.4

Dale-Chall Difficult Word Score

Sprache Difficult Word Count