Capitol Hill erupted into chaos Wednesday as House Democrats sparred with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a hearing that quickly spiraled into shouting matches and personal attacks.
Rep. Maxine Waters of California demanded to know, “Can you shut him up?” after Bessentrepeatedly talked over her questions, ABC News reported.
Bessentfired back with his own dig: “Can you maintain some level of dignity?”
The clashes centered on Trump’s tariffs, particularly those affecting home-building materials. The barbs spread beyond trade policy, with multiple Democrats jabbing the Treasury secretary over his evasive responses.
That included Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) who demanded responsiveness, only to be told by Bessent that the “back and forth is just eating into your time.”
Later, Bessent said Lynch’s questions “have to be serious.” As Lynch started yelling at Bessent, the Treasury secretary let loose a snide retort.
“Could you speak a little louder? I can’t hear you,” he shot back.
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) got so fed up that she declared for the record that Bessent refused to answer her straightforward yes-or-no question, then shut down his attempt to interrupt.
“No, no, we’re not going to do that with me,” she declared.
The tension peaked when Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) cornered Bessent about Trump’s cryptocurrency firm selling a $500 million stake to an Emirati royal family member. After Bessent dodged and pivoted to attacking Meeks’ Venezuela record, the congressman shouted at Bessent.
“Stop covering for the president. Don’t be a flunky. Work for the American people. Don’t be a cover-up for a mob,” he said, pointing a finger.
‘I CAN’T HEAR YOU’: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent jokingly asks a shouting Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch to “speak a little louder” during a tense exchange on corporate investigations. pic.twitter.com/kmTQA4ieyV — Fox News (@FoxNews) February 5, 2026
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