Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended a $20 billion bailout of Argentina on Face the Nation this afternoon, stating, "It is America First because we are supporting a U.S. ally." Bessent appeared on the program between 2:15 PM and 3:15 PM UTC, during which he was pressed by host Margaret Brennan regarding President Trump's refusal to negotiate with Democrats to end the ongoing government shutdown. During the interview, Bessent stammered when Brennan questioned his stance on the shutdown negotiations, according to video shared on X by @atrupar. This exchange occurred as the Treasury Department confirmed the bailout for Argentina, a move Bessent framed as strategically aligned with American interests. In separate remarks, Bessent referred to Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev as a "Russian propagandist" this week, confirming that the Treasury had temporarily paused sanctions on Dmitriev to allow for travel to the U.S. for meetings with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff. Bessent also stated that Russia's oil earnings are down 20% year-over-year, with a potential further decrease of 20% to 30% predicted, noting that this revenue "funds the Russian war machine." Meanwhile, Gavin, whose father served as attorney for the billionaire Getty family, discussed his upbringing on an NBA podcast, stating, "It was about payin' the bills, man." He also described his youth as "Hustlin" and "Wonder bread and Mac 'n cheese."
