‘Appalling’: Trump Official Defends His Heartless Comments Weeks After Shaky, Wide-Eyed Clip But When He’s Given an Out, He Doubles Down in a Way That’s Hard to Watch
When it comes to President Donald Trump, Scott Bessent has a habit of sidestepping questions and answering them in the way most people wouldn’t expect.
Sitting across from Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, he was given a clean chance to say whether it was wrong for Donald Trump to celebrate the death of an American hero. Instead, the treasury secretary defended the indefensible again and again.
The exchange landed with more weight because it came just weeks after Bessent had been pulled from a live interview for an urgent White House summons and returned two hours later looking visibly shaken and struggling to get his words out. Now, with the cameras rolling again, he stood firm and shamelessly — defending a comment that many saw as cold-blooded.
At the center of the uproar is Trump’s disdainful reaction to the death of Robert Mueller, who led the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and Bessent’s refusal to condemn the president’s remarks.
Saturday on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”
Asked directly if that kind of statement was appropriate, Bessent declined to denounce it while urging empathy for the president. The moment fueled a flood of backlash, with critics pointing to what they see as a pattern: top officials defending Trump’s words no matter how far they go, even when those words target a decorated public servant.
Welker pressed the issue repeatedly during the interview, framing the question in plain terms.
“Do you think it’s appropriate for the president to celebrate the death of a Bronze Star, Purple Heart recipient who served in Vietnam?” she asked.
Bessent did not engage the premise. “Neither one of us can understand what has been done to the president and his family,” he deflected.
Welker tried again, narrowing the focus. “But is it appropriate for the president to celebrate the death of any American citizen?”
Bessent stuck to the same line. “Given what has been done to President Trump and his family, it is impossible for either of us to understand what he’s been through.”
Even when Welker quoted Trump’s words back to him — “So you don’t think there’s anything wrong with a post saying, ‘Good. Robert Mueller’s dead’?” — Bessent did not break.
“We should have empathy for what’s been done to the president and his family,” he said.
The exchange quickly spread online, where critics argued the response said as much about the administration as Bessent’s comment. One widely shared reaction captured the shock at seeing a cabinet official stand by the remark: “Wow, absolutely stunning. Scott Bessent defends Trump for celebrating Robert Mueller’s death.”
Others framed it less as a surprise and more as confirmation of a pattern inside Trump’s orbit: “Why is anyone surprised. Every member of administration is required to agree with him. The entirety of MAGA. This has been clear for years.”
Some pointed to what they described as a double standard in political outrage, writing, “Where are all of those cancel culture MAGA who were screeching about what folks said after Charlie Kirk died?”
Another reaction took aim directly at Bessent’s demeanor during the interview: “If there was such a thing as a Stepford husband, he would be it.”
And still others widened the criticism beyond one moment, arguing it reflects a broader shift in tone: “That is disgusting. But you’ll notice the lack of GOP voices denouncing his disgusting statement. We are lost. And if you think the example of crude, appalling behaviour set by the “president” isn’t filtering down to the rest of society? Think again.”
Mueller had long been a target of Donald Trump’s anger despite the final report not charging him with coordinating with Russia to throw the 2016 election. The findings, laid out in a lengthy report, did not recommend prosecuting Trump, but they also stopped short of clearing him, with Mueller stating at the time, “If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.”
As such, the special counsel investigation itself remained a lasting grievance for the president.
Bessent referenced that sense of grievance during the interview, pointing to what he described as deeply personal impacts on Trump and his family. He recalled a moment at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where footage related to the FBI’s search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property was playing out.
“I was with the president in the green room at Davos and there was a video playing of what may have been an illegal raid on his home at Mar-a-Lago. They are going through his wife’s wardrobe,” Bessent told Welker, apparently referring to the FBI’s August 2022 search of the Florida estate to recover classified documents the then-former president was storing there.
“And I watched the look in his eye, and I think that neither one of us can understand what has been done to the president and to his family,” he added.
Trump has continued to frame those investigations as unjust, at one point saying, “You know, I brought a lawsuit, and I’m winning the lawsuit. There’s only one problem. I’m the one who has to settle it,” before adding, “In other words, I am suing, and I’m the one that’s supposed to settle it.” He is now seeking a $230 million settlement from the Justice Department as compensation for having to defend himself in connection with various federal probes.