Trumpenomics

Say @KatieZacharia? Can you tell us why Trump's historic Venezuela deal hasn't lowered prices like he promised it will over and over? Was he lying? https://t.co/SzMuA9urA1

— EU says Elon should not lie abt my blue check (@emptywheel) October 10, 2026

Keeping it simple for the simpletons.

Putin dispatched the ship full of diesel the day, or day after, Trump invited Putin to the G-20. https://t.co/FL1bNtAw9g

— EU says Elon should not lie abt my blue check (@emptywheel) October 10, 2026

Yes, one ship. Not even a noticeable drop in the bucket of U.S. consumption.  Trump has repeatedly bragged about “billions” of barrels of Venezuelan crude on its way to America, but gas prices remain stubbornly high. And yes, he made the arrangement for the one shipment of diesel with Putin some time ago, not in a phone call last week. International trade agreements don’t actually work that way. But how much diesel did Russia agree to deliver? Is this it?

And then there’s this “blockbuster:”

Pretty spectacular journalism, @EdwardLawrence! Is it your job to assess Scotty's claims?

— EU says Elon should not lie abt my blue check (@emptywheel) October 10, 2026

Except it’s just Bessent being an ass to a U.S. Senator and former Harvard professor:

Exclusive: FOX Business obtained the response from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to the latest request for information from Senator Elizabeth Warren. The Senator has sent more than 100 letters to Treasury asking for information in the past 21 months. The Secretary snarky at times in the response saying, "Rather than take my suggestion of studying introductory economics, you have continued your letter-writing crusade and participation in tabloid fodder about the Treasury Department." Secretary Bessent also added a hand-written note at the bottom of the letter. (Picture attached) Senator Warren sent a letter dated October 10th asking for more information about what the Trump Administration is doing to lower borrowing costs for average Americans. In the letter the Senator accuses the Treasury Secretary of increasing costs saying, "The surge in Treasury yields is self-inflicted and follows the Fed's decision to raise the federal funds rate by a quarter of a percentage point, driven by concerns about inflation." The Treasury Secretary refuted that characterization in his letter, adding, "It is difficult to treat your concern as sincere." Adding, "As the federal funds rate climbed from near zero to its highest level in 22 years, with inflation hitting a 40-year high, you were a cheerleader for the Biden Administration's reckless spending." The Secretary finishes the letter offering "a Foreign Exchange for Dummies tutorial still, and if you receive a passing grade to the Yale metric, not the Harvard curve, I would be happy to also include a Fixed Income for Dummies."

— Edward Lawrence (@EdwardLawrence) October 10, 2026

Exclusive: FOX Business obtained the response from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to the latest request for information from Senator Elizabeth Warren.

The Senator has sent more than 100 letters to Treasury asking for information in the past 21 months. The Secretary snarky at times in the response saying, "Rather than take my suggestion of studying introductory economics, you have continued your letter-writing crusade and participation in tabloid fodder about the Treasury Department." Secretary Bessent also added a hand-written note at the bottom of the letter. (Picture attached)

Senator Warren sent a letter dated October 10th asking for more information about what the Trump Administration is doing to lower borrowing costs for average Americans. In the letter the Senator accuses the Treasury Secretary of increasing costs saying, "The surge in Treasury yields is self-inflicted and follows the Fed's decision to raise the federal funds rate by a quarter of a percentage point, driven by concerns about inflation." The Treasury Secretary refuted that characterization in his letter, adding, "It is difficult to treat your concern as sincere." Adding, "As the federal funds rate climbed from near zero to its highest level in 22 years, with inflation hitting a 40-year high, you were a cheerleader for the Biden Administration's reckless spending."

The Secretary finishes the letter offering "a Foreign Exchange for Dummies tutorial still, and if you receive a passing grade to the Yale metric, not the Harvard curve, I would be happy to also include a Fixed Income for Dummies."

All it proves is that Bessent is looking up to see bottom (especially the childish and gratuitous Yale  v. Harvard rivalry swipe, that would embarrass children on a schoolyard). Oh, and the FoxNews “exclusive” fail:

@EdwardLawrence Scott Bessent published it on his X profile. Fox didn’t obtain anything. They took it from X.

— freeeuropeinusa (@freeeuropeinusa) October 10, 2026

This is really all they’ve got. A Treasury Secretary reduced to childish taunts because he’s failed so thoroughly, and a President who leads that effort with his failures.