2026-01-28T22:18:40-0500 / CBS新闻
美国财政部长斯科特·贝森特在周三接受《CBS周六早间新闻》联合主持人凯利·奥格雷迪采访时，谈到了财政部对美联储主席杰罗姆·鲍威尔的持续调查，以及政府针对特朗普第二个任期内出生的儿童推出的新1000美元”特朗普账户”计划。以下是两人对话的完整实录。
凯利·奥格雷迪：非常感谢部长能与我们坐下来交谈。我想先从特朗普账户开始。好吗？所以我们先从宏观问题快速切入。对于正在观看的家庭来说，用一句话概括特朗普账户是什么？
财政部长斯科特·贝森特：对于2025年1月1日至2028年12月31日期间出生的儿童的家庭，政府将投资1000美元到指数基金中。但所有有18岁以下儿童的家庭都可以注册，网址是Trumpaccounts.gov，7月5日正式上线。即使你的孩子没有从政府获得1000美元，你也可以免税存入资金。我们还有雇主参与、朋友和家人可以捐赠。像迈克尔和苏珊·戴尔夫妇等美国杰出慈善家已承诺捐赠62.5亿美元，雷伊·达里奥（曾收养儿童或资助康涅狄格州儿童）、布拉德·格斯特纳（这一想法源自他的餐桌创意）也宣布将为所有5岁以下儿童捐赠。我们预计有2500万个家庭会注册，仅本周就已有60万家庭报名，所以请立即注册并启动该计划。
奥格雷迪：好的。这可能不止一句话，但我会放过你，因为解释得很好。我喜欢这个解释。不过我想追问关于贫富差距的问题，因为批评者认为：假设我是高收入家庭，可以随着孩子成长持续捐款；但如果是低收入家庭，孩子18岁时可能只有约5000美元。那么你如何防止该计划加剧贫富差距？
贝森特：实际上，我认为这是个糟糕的批评，这恰恰说明说这种话的人有多脱节。如果他们认为只有5000美元，美国有大量家庭连500美元的医疗应急费用都拿不出来，他们怎么能说只有5000美元？简直荒谬！这不过是因为特朗普总统推动了这个计划，他们就反对。此外，迈克尔和苏珊·戴尔的62.5亿美元捐款不会集中在最富裕的20%社区，慈善家可以自主选择捐赠对象，覆盖不同邮编区域、学区或经济阶层。各州也能参与进来，我们致力于缩小贫富差距。
奥格雷迪：不。
贝森特：你不想看到贫富差距扩大。看看委内瑞拉、古巴，那里的人一无所有。
奥格雷迪：好的。你知道，我主要报道商业新闻。我想多谈谈低收入家庭可能缺乏金融知识的问题，说实话，我花了很长时间才走到今天。这个计划中有哪些保障措施能帮助教育民众，确保他们18岁时能正确使用这笔钱并受益？
贝森特：当然。这是个好问题。多年来我一直大力倡导金融素养教育。我们正在推动各州落实，毕竟教育应由各州负责。但我相信账户本身就能成为一个实时教育实验室——人们可以通过手机随时查看账户，自然会主动学习。这不再是华尔街那种遥不可及的抽象概念，而是触手可及的金融实践。
奥格雷迪：（笑）熊市、牛市。没错。
贝森特：是的。财政部会推出大量金融知识宣传，持续鼓励更新知识。我认为家庭会非常积极参与。我个人的“黑暗秘密”是早餐喝健怡可乐（Dr. Pepper），但不能让孩子喝。我常去南卡罗来纳州查尔斯顿市Meeting街的Circle K便利店，那里有很多年轻员工。他们会问我：“先生，如果我中了彩票，您会帮我理财吗？”我说最好别买彩票，但无法告诉他们该怎么做。其实，你可以把钱存入孩子的账户，多年后就能增值。
奥格雷迪：我想回到这个话题，不过先处理完特朗普账户的问题。但正如你所说，这是未来的事。这个国家有很多像你刚提到的人，现在正感到经济压力。我听到你的政府称经济状况很好，但有些人却感受不到。总统说“再给我们点时间”，你能告诉美国民众还要等多久？
贝森特：我认为现在已经开始见效了。他们确实感到压力，这是因为拜登政府掏空了劳动者。官方称通胀率22-23%，但我的朋友、Strategas Partners的杰森·特伦纳特提出“普通人指数”——涵盖食品、保险、汽车、二手车和租金，涨幅已达30%。但现在通胀正在回落至美联储2%的目标，租金下降，能源价格走低。总统正在降低处方药成本，这些措施将带来实际工资增长。总统执政期间每月都有实际工资增长，作为标志性政策之一：取消小费税、加班费税、社会保障税，允许美国制造的汽车贷款利息扣除（追溯至2025年）。作为IRS专员，我们已提供充分的税务减免指导，今年将有大量退税。
奥格雷迪：我其实想追问退税的问题。对于挣扎中的民众，大家都盼着4月的退税（虽然我家也不喜欢报税）。但我担心：如果民主党因ICE经费问题阻挠预算导致政府停摆，IRS在报税季如何应对？
贝森特：我认为民主党不会鲁莽到再次停摆。他们上次停摆太久，民众不会容忍。我们已做好充分预案，完全不影响报税季。事实上，过去两天的寒冷天气对IRS的影响比停摆更大。我们准备充分、计划周全。
奥格雷迪：好的，很高兴听到这些。你提到通胀2%目标，我立刻想到美联储利率决议。我们必须谈谈美联储，本周就有利率决策。
贝森特：就在今天。
奥格雷迪：对。司法部正在调查美联储主席鲍威尔，在总统即将宣布其继任者之际，这对未来美联储主席传递了什么信息？
贝森特：信息是：独立不等于无问责。自去年春天起，我多次呼吁美联储开展内部调查，但他们拒绝了。美联储与美国民众关系特殊，因为它是美国最强大的非任命机构。正因如此，它必须像“凯撒的妻子”般无可指责。如果我要更换财政部办公室的负责人，需国会拨款；但美联储可以随意印钞（如超支7亿美元建造大楼），因此必须承担责任。总统尊重美联储独立性，但独立不等于无问责。
奥格雷迪：有人担心如果利率不符合现任或未来总统的意愿，问责和监督会加强，这是否合理？
贝森特：完全不合理。总统清楚美联储是12人委员会，主席仅一票。
奥格雷迪：有道理。观众反馈说媒体过多关注国际新闻，对国内事务报道不足。我们关注委内瑞拉，最近有石油交易。能否确认最近的委内瑞拉石油销售款去向？
贝森特：资金将用于委内瑞拉人民。
奥格雷迪：好的。
贝森特：这对美国民众至关重要——委内瑞拉石油虽为重质原油，但对美国南部炼油厂不可或缺。炼油厂供应增加将降低国内汽油价格。
奥格雷迪：是的，我在看CPI指数时总是关注能源价格——
贝森特：没错。
奥格雷迪：——因为它是物价波动的重要驱动力。最后再问两个问题。
贝森特：当然。
奥格雷迪：再回到特朗普账户。假设2043年，有人现在生了孩子并注册账户，18年后他们收到账户资金，如果这笔钱无法用于支付大学学费或购房，是否意味着计划失败？财政部如何衡量这个项目的成功？
贝森特：首先，如前所述，很多美国人连500美元应急资金都没有。所以5000美元可能成为“雨天基金”。我当年打三份工读完大学，若有此基金可能只需打两份工。成功的关键在于：对多数美国人而言，他们可能不懂这对委内瑞拉政策的影响，但通过18年的账户积累，即使仅作为金融实践，也能培养理财习惯。
奥格雷迪：嗯。这就是我工作的原因（理解政策影响）。最后一个问题，我们尽量轻松收尾。听说你自称商业界的“忍者”，能否告诉我：埃隆·马斯克的黑眼圈是左勾拳还是右勾拳造成的？
贝森特：打他的人是左撇子。
奥格雷迪：啊！部长你是左撇子吗？
贝森特：这个问题留到下次采访再回答。
奥格雷迪：（笑）
贝森特：不过我猜是他儿子X（可能）干的。他说“是X干的”……
奥格雷迪：那他可能惹上UFC拳手了。
贝森特：可能上周带X去看了UFC比赛……
奥格雷迪：是的。
贝森特：……然后就发生了。
奥格雷迪：好了，贝森特部长，感谢你今天的时间。
贝森特：很高兴见到你。
Read the full transcript of Kelly O’Grady’s interview with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent here
2026-01-28T22:18:40-0500 / CBS News
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addressed his department’s ongoing investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the administration’s new $1,000 “Trump Accounts” for children born during President Trump’s second term in an interview Wednesday with “CBS Saturday Morning” co-host Kelly O’Grady. Read the full transcript of their conversation below.
KELLY O’GRADY: Thank you so much, Secretary, for sitting down with us. I want to start on the Trump accounts. Okay? So let’s start broad and quick. What, for families viewing, is your one-sentence pitch on the Trump accounts?
SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT: Well, for the families who have children between January 1st, 2025, and December 31, 2028, you got $1,000 coming from the government that’s going to be invested into an index fund. But for all families with children below age 18, sign up,Trumpaccounts.gov, they’re going to go live July 5th. So even if your child doesn’t get the thousand dollars from the government, you can contribute in tax free. And we’re going to have employers who are contributing, friends, family can contribute. We got some of America’s great philanthropists like Michael and Susan Dell, $6.25 billion, you got Ray Dalio, who adopted children, or sponsoring children in the state of Connecticut, Brad Gerstner, who, this really came from an idea at his dining room table, just announced he’s going to donate to all children below age five. So we think there are 25 million households who are there to sign up, we’ve gotten 600,000 signups just this week, so sign up, and the – start the program.
O’GRADY: All right. That might have been more than one sentence, but I’ll let it slide because it was good. It was a good explanation, I like it. I want to press you, though on this, this question of the wealth gap, because we’ve heard from critics that, well, let’s say I’m a high-income-earning family, I can keep contributing to that over time as my child grows. But if I’m a low-income family, my child, when they turn 18, may only have $5,000 or so, give or take. So, how are you going to prevent the wealth gap from widening with this program?
BESSENT: Well, actually, I think that that is a terrible criticism, and it shows how out of touch anyone who says that is, because if they say only $5,000, these are families, huge number of families in America, wouldn’t have $500 to meet a medical emergency. So how can they say only $5,000? What the hell are they talking about? Doesn’t make any sense. You know, it’s just because President Trump has sponsored it. They don’t agree with it. The other thing, too, is a lot of the contributions, Michael and Susan Dell’s contribution, $6.25 billion across America, is not going to the top 20% economic zip codes. So philanthropists can actually choose. They can choose by zip codes. They can choose by school district. They can do it by economic quintiles. States can get in on the action. So and again, you don’t want a wealth gap.
O’GRADY: No.
BESSENT: You don’t want a wealth gap. Go to Venezuela. Go to Cuba. Nobody has anything.
O’GRADY: Okay. So, you know, I cover business, right? So let’s, let’s talk a little bit though about those, those lower income families that maybe don’t have the financial literacy, because I’m going to be honest, it took me a long time to get where I was. What are some of the safeguards in this program that will help educate folks so that when someone does turn 18, you know they are able to utilize this in the right way and benefit?
BESSENT: Sure. Great. Great question. I’ve been a big proponent of financial literacy over the years. We are pressing the states. We think, you know, states should be in charge of education. But I believe that by virtue of the accounts existing, we’re going to have a great real-time laboratory. The people are going to want to get up to speed, because you’re going to be able to look at it on your phone. You can sign up on your phone, you can watch the account on your phone. So all of a sudden it’s not some abstract intangible that like, this is what goes on at the corner of Wall Street and Broad Street.
O’GRADY: [LAUGHS] Bears. Bulls. Yeah.
BESSENT: Yes. And so, but we’re going to push a big amount of financial literacy out of Treasury. We’re going to continually encourage people to update and I think families are going to be very interested. I – we studies have shown that the main impediment is getting the account open, that people who don’t save, they don’t have a vehicle to save is what – my deep, dark secret is I have a Dr. Pepper for breakfast. Not allowed to do it in the house with the children.
O’GRADY: Wait, that’s your, that’s your breakfast, Secretary? [LAUGHS]
BESSENT: Yeah. [LAUGHS]
O’GRADY: Breaking news. [LAUGHS]
BESSENT: Don’t tell Bobby Kennedy.
O’GRADY: All right, all right, all right, well –
BESSENT: Don’t tell Bobby Kennedy. But, I, but I, end up at the Circle K on Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina. A lot of young workers there. I’m dressed like this. They come up to me, they’re all playing the lottery. And, they say, Mister, if I win the lottery, will you manage my money? And I said, the best thing you can do is not play the lottery. But I couldn’t tell them what else to do with it. Now, you could say, put it in your child’s account and it’ll, it’ll grow over the years.
O’GRADY: So I do want to pick up on on that, right. And we’ll get back to the Trump accounts in a minute. But that’s a future thing, right, to your point. There are people in this country like the ones that you just spoke about that are feeling crunched now. And I’ve heard your administration and you say we have a great economy, but you do have folks that aren’t feeling it. The president has said, just give us time. Give us time. Can you tell the American people how long they have to wait?
BESSENT: Oh, I, I think, it’s starting to kick in right now. And they should feel crunched. The Biden administration blew out working Americans. Stated inflation was 22-23%, but a friend of mine, Jason Trennert, Strategas Partners, says, something called the Common Man Index. And that’s what working families have. So it’s groceries, insurance, cars, special used cars, rent. And that was up in the 30s. So yes, but they are crunched. So what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to control costs. I think inflation is going to be back toward the Fed target 2%. Rents are down. Energy’s down.
President’s pushing down prescription drug costs. The other side of that is going to be the real wage growth. We’ve had real wage growth every month that the President’s been in office, as part of the one big beautiful bill, the President’s signature policies, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, deductibility of American-made auto loans, or the interest on those, that began, it was retroactive for 2025. I’m also the IRS commissioner, we did not give withholding guidance. So we’re going to have substantial tax refunds this year.
O’GRADY: I–I actually do want to pick up on that though, because the tax refunds, that is, for folks who are struggling, everyone looks forward to April, not doin– not doing the taxes certainly in my house but the tax refund. The thing though that I’m concerned about and I want your thoughts, if we were to have a shutdown, if Democrats do decide to withhold their votes over ICE funding, how is the IRS going to deal with that during tax season?
BESSENT: Well, I think, A, I can’t imagine that the Democrats would be as irresponsible to close us down. And as you said, the Democrats’ shut down. They – they would be irresponsible to close down for the length that they did last time. But I can tell you we’re ready. We have continuous plans in place. It will not affect tax season at all. As a matter of fact, I could say that the cold weather we’ve seen the past two days is more of a hindrance than the shutdown would be at the IRS. So we are fulsome, robust and prepared.
O’GRADY: All right. I do like to hear that, I like my tax refund. You mentioned, you know, inflation, the 2% target. I immediately go, up, the Fed’s target and I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you about the Fed because we do have an interest rate decision this week.
BESSENT: Today.
O’GRADY: Today. That is right. In a few hours here, the Department of Justice is investigating Fed Chair Powell, what message should that send to future Fed chairs as the president is about to announce who will succeed Powell?
BESSENT: I think that the message is that independence does not mean no accountability. I’ve been calling for the Fed to do an internal investigation on numerous things since last spring, and they’ve chosen not to do it. The Fed has a very special relationship with the American people because it is the most powerful unappointed group in the U.S., and because of that, they have to be like Caesar’s wife, they have to be beyond reproach. So, if I, if I want a new chair for my office at Treasury, it comes from an appropriation. The Fed, if they overspend on a building, $700 million, a billion, a billion and a half, they just print magic money. So they can print their own money, so you have a responsibility. But again, President has great reverence for the Fed’s independence. But independence does not mean no accountability.
O’GRADY: Is there – would it be crazy for someone to worry that there would be more accountability, more oversight if interest rates don’t go the way that the president, this president, or, by the way, any future president, wants?
BESSENT: Not at all. Because, again, the president’s well aware that it’s a committee, and the committee has 12, 12 voters, the chair’s just one vote.
O’GRADY: Fair point. I did want to ask you, you know, something that we’ve heard from our viewers is that there isn’t enough focus on what’s going on here in the U.S, that there’s a focus on, on other countries. And I want to pick up on Venezuela. It’s one that’s been in the news. The oil sales. We’ve recently had an oil sale. Can you confirm where that money has gone from that recent Venezuelan oil sale?
BESSENT: Well, it’s going back to the Venezuelan people.
O’GRADY: Okay.
BESSENT: But again, this is very important for the American people because the, the Venezuelan oil is very heavy crude, but very, very necessary for refineries in the southern part of the U.S. So our gasoline prices are driven by that. So the more supply that comes in to those refineries, lower gasoline prices are going to come here.
O’GRADY: And that’s fair. I always, on that – when I’m looking at the CPI index, I always look at what energy is doing –
BESSENT: Yup.
O’GRADY: – because that is a big driver of where things go. Just a couple more questions for you.
BESSENT: Of course.
O’GRADY: I did want to ask, go back to the Trump accounts for a second. You know, let’s say, 2043. Someone has a baby right now. They sign up for an account. 18 years from now, if that person, when they, they receive that money in that account, if they aren’t able to go out and pay for college, to go buy a home eventually, if it hasn’t really meaningfully changed their ability to do that, would you call this a failure? Or is there a different way that the Treasury measures success in this particular program?
BESSENT: Well, first of all, again, as I said, so many Americans couldn’t even meet a $500 emergency. So maybe people just put it away and it’s a rainy day fund. You know, it can be a component. I worked three jobs to put myself through college, so maybe I would just be working two if that happened. And, but again, I think the success of this is going to be, as you just said, on foreign policy, maybe a lot of Americans, like with Venezuela, don’t understand how it affects them. For many Americans, Wall Street is just – 38% of the households who don’t have stocks, Wall Street is this abstract notion. All of a sudden they have participated for 18 years, that, in the financial markets. So as it – it’s a constant financial education.
O’GRADY: Hm. Yeah I mean – that’s, that’s sort of the reason why I have a job. So I hear you on that. Last question for you, I always like to end on a little bit of a light note when we can. Okay. I have heard you describe yourself as a ninja when it comes to business. So can you level with me? Elon Musk black eye, right hook or left?
BESSENT: Whoever did it is left-handed.
O’GRADY: Ah! Are you left-handed, Secretary?
BESSENT: That’s for the next interview.
O’GRADY: [laughs]
BESSENT: But I, I, I think his son X may be. And he said, X, they, uh, did it, so –
O’GRADY: He may have a UFC fighter on his hands, then.
BESSENT: I think he’d just taken X to UFC –
O’GRADY: Yeah.
BESSENT: – a couple of weeks before.
O’GRADY: All right, Secretary, so appreciate your time today. Thank you.
BESSENT: Good to see you.