Heated Exchange Over Shutdown Strategy Erupts on National Television
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent engaged in a fiery confrontation with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos during Sunday's broadcast of This Week, unearthing controversial comments the host made during the Clinton-era government shutdowns.
Past Comments Resurface in Present Debate
The explosive exchange began when Stephanopoulos questioned Bessent about Donald Trump's recent attempts to eliminate the filibuster - a Senate rule requiring 60 votes to advance most legislation - as a means to prevent future government shutdowns.
Bessent immediately pivoted to Stephanopoulos's past role as a senior adviser to President Bill Clinton during the 1995-96 government shutdown, which at 21 days was then the longest in US history. The Treasury Secretary referenced a 2000 PBS interview where Stephanopoulos admitted that Clinton staffers sought to portray Republicans as 'basically terrorists' to force a compromise.
'Look, you were involved in a lot of these in the '90s. And, you know, you basically called the Republicans terrorists,' Bessent asserted. 'And, you know, you said that it is not the responsible party that keeps the government closed.'
Historical Strategy Meets Current Crisis
Stephanopoulos, 64, quickly attempted to deflect, stating: 'I can disagree with you about the history there, but we don't need a history lesson right now.'
Despite the anchor's protests, Bessent maintained his position, revealing he had recently read Stephanopoulos's book All Too Human: A Political Education and had all the host's quotes ready. 'So you got one purchase on Amazon this week. And that's very much what you said,' Bessent remarked.
The Treasury Secretary repeatedly argued that five moderate Democratic senators needed to 'cross the aisle' to resolve the current standoff, mirroring the compromise that ended the 1995-96 shutdown when Republicans accepted a budget with fewer cuts than originally sought.
The current shutdown has become the longest in US history at 40 days, leaving 42 million Americans without access to SNAP benefits. Remarkably, Bessent's prediction came to fruition when the Senate cleared the way for a spending deal through a 60-to-40 vote on Sunday night, with several Democrats indeed crossing party lines to vote with Republicans.
