"Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American dream," Bessent said during a speech to the Economic Club of New York. "The American Dream is rooted in the concept that any citizen can achieve prosperity, upward mobility, and economic security. For too long, the designers of multilateral trade deals have lost sight of this."

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended Donald Trump’s tariffs, arguing that access to cheap goods are not the “essence of the American Dream.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent used striking language to defend the Trump administration’s tariff policies during a Thursday speech at the Economic Club of New York. “Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American dream,