During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Democratic lawmakers’ video message to military members about illegal orders “helps our enemies.”
Host Kristen Welker said, “Let me ask you about another topic this week that got a lot of attention. Six congressional Democrats released a video with a message to service members and intelligence officials.”
She asked, “President Trump accused these lawmakers of, quote, seditious behavior punishable by death. Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said that every order President Trump gives is lawful. Are you confident that every order that President Trump gives his lawful?”
Bessent said, “Kristen, what I am confident of is this is a display of gross negligence here that there are 2.1 million service members and you’re probably going ask, you’re probably going to say these off the rails representatives have gotten death threats. What about the 2.1 million service members? They have put their lives at risk. There is one commander in chief, and when you step outside of a chain of command and try to create via noise and chaos, that only helps our enemies.”
Welker said, “Are you confident, though, Mr. Secretary, that every order that President Trump gives is, in fact, lawful?”
Bessent said, “I am confident of that. And I am also confident that this was a complete mistake. They should retract it.”
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