During an appearance on CBS Face the Nation, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the Trump Administration’s economic policies. That includes the U.S. trade agenda. Bessent spoke with the Chinese vice premier on Friday and said U.S. soybean prices have risen 12 to 15 percent since the U.S.-China trade deal was announced. The CBS host, Margaret Brennan, asked why farmers still needed a bridge payment from USDA. “Because the Chinese actually used our soybean farmers as pawns in the trade negotiations, we are going to create this bridge because agriculture is all about the future. You’ve gotta start financing for planting next year.” Also during the interview, Bessent said he divested his farmland ownership this past week to avoid a federal ethics violation. Bessent had owned corn and soybean ground in Burleigh, Kidder, Eddy, Benson and Wells County of North Dakota. The New York Times claims the land was worth $25 million.
