Waters slams Bessent in fiery exchange: 'Can you shut him up?'

California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters on Wednesday got into a heated exchange with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during his testimony on inflation and the American economy, even telling him at one point to "shut up."

The House Financial Services Committee convened to question Bessent on a recent report from the Financial Stability Oversight Council and on President Donald Trump's tariffs and their potential impact on the U.S. economy. 

Waters claimed Trump's economic policies, including the tariffs, were causing inflation and that immigration enforcement was tanking housing affordability, according to the New York Post. 

“Will you be the voice of reason in the administration and urge Trump to stop waging a war on American consumers?” Waters asked. “Yes or no?”

Bessent replied over protests from Waters that the lawmaker appeared confused about the definition of inflation and claimed that the Biden administration had let in millions of illegal migrants, which caused the housing prices to surge. 

“Can you shut him up?” Waters asked committee chairman French Hill in response to Bessent's testimony. 

“Can you maintain some level of dignity?” Bessent replied.

Bessent also pointed to data from the San Francisco Federal Reserve, which found that "tariffs do not cause inflation." 

The hearing comes as the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the legality of Trump's tariffs through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in the near future.