Bessent spars with Dem in fiery Trump tax showdown until claim crosses the line: ‘Slanderous’
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Calif., traded barbs during a Thursday congressional hearing after she pressed him over a DOJ settlement requiring the IRS to end any existing tax audits of President Donald Trump, with Sánchez ultimately accusing him of overseeing the "most corrupt Treasury Department" in U.S. history.
"I hope that you're proud of your performance today, Mr. Secretary," Sánchez told Bessent as he testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday.
"I hope you get some social media clips," he shot back.
The tense exchange came as Sánchez cited a settlement reached between the Department of Justice and the Trump family in May that forced the IRS, which is overseen by the Treasury Department, to end any existing tax audits of Trump, his family and their business interests. By the end of the back and forth, both parties had become incensed, with the congresswoman accusing Bessent of running the "most corrupt Treasury Department."
TRUMP FILES $10B LAWSUIT AGAINST IRS OVER ALLEGED TAX RETURN LEAKS TO MAJOR NEWS OUTLETS
"Why are you allowing President Trump and his family to have complete immunity from being audited?" Sánchez asked Bessent as he testified before the House Ways and Means Committee.
"Again, since you are a lawyer, you will understand that the U.S. Treasury and the IRS are represented by the Justice Department and the acting attorney general," Bessent responded.
The clash highlighted a broader fight over how far executive power should extend when it intersects with federal agencies, personal finances and politically charged investigations. It also provided a familiar dynamic: Democrats warning of special treatment for Trump, and the administration framing the issue as another example of combating institutional overreach against him.
It is unclear whether Trump is currently facing any audits, a detail pressed by Bessent, eliciting indignation from Sánchez.
"Do you have specific knowledge of an audit of President Trump?" he asked Sánchez.
"Excuse me? It's my time. You're not here to ask me questions. I'm here to ask you questions. And hopefully you're here to try to answer some of them," she responded. "I'm curious to know who counts as Trump's family for the purposes of this immunity. Is it his children, his in-laws, his grandchildren, his second or third cousin? His great-great-grandchildren? Do you know the answer to that question, Mr. Secretary?"
"Again, I imagine you have the Justice Department phone number. I suggest you call them," the secretary responded.
The exchange only heightened from that point.
"Safe to say that this is probably the most corrupt Treasury Department in our nation's history," Sánchez said as her time speaking expired.
"And I am going to have to take exception with that," Bessent hit back, waving away her claim as "slanderous."
"The congresswoman is slanderous," Bessent continued. "She has nothing but … the unsubstantiated opinions. And I will not stand for that. There is nothing corrupt. We move at the highest levels."
Critics have questioned whether the DOJ has authority to bind the IRS and accused Trump, who was in 2024 reportedly facing a tax investigation that could have cost him up to $100 million, of pressuring the government for personal gain. Supporters, meanwhile, argue that the immunity is an appropriate response to alleged government weaponization.
The state of the Trump family’s immunity is currently uncertain, especially after a federal judge blocked the president’s proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund. Bessent has declined to comment on whether the immunity deal is still in place, citing pending litigation.