Bessent Identifies New Strain Of TDS, Reminds Dems They Lost The Election

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remarked on Thursday that a “new version of TDS” seems to have emerged, specifically targeting President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, and reminded Democrats that they lost the presidential election last year while defending the sitting administration’s economic policies.

Shorthand for “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” TDS refers to a phenomenon characterized by intense negative reactions to Trump, his actions, or his supporters. Republican lawmakers recently introduced a bill in the House to begin a study of its origins and identify potential solutions.

During a hearing on Capitol Hill, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) pressed Bessent on whether American consumers are paying the tariffs amid Trump’s trade war with other countries after pointing out that the secretary himself conceded nearly a month ago that retail giant Walmart could pass on price increases to consumers.

“There seems to be a new version of TDS, which I would call Tariff Derangement Syndrome,” says @SecScottBessent.

“Many on your side seem disappointed that there is no inflation … We saw the best inflation numbers since 2020, so there has been nothing passed on. There has been… pic.twitter.com/KpYCPlUoA3

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 12, 2025

Bessent accused the Democrat of “cherry-picking” to suit a narrative. “Walmart makes decisions based on their customers” while he said two other large retailers, Amazon and Home Depot, have chosen not to pass along the cost of tariffs.

“There seems to be a new version of TDS, which I would call Tariff Derangement Syndrome, and many on your side seem disappointed that there is no inflation today,” Bessent continued. “As a matter of fact, we saw the best inflation numbers since 2020, so there has been nothing passed on. There has been no tariff recession. So no inflation, no recession due to tariffs.”

“Democrats are so out of touch and partisan that they refuse to acknowledge the President’s inflation wins and would actually prefer to see numbers rise,” Bessent wrote in a post on X with a clip of his back-and-forth with Wyden.

At another point during the hearing, Bessent chided Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) during an exchange in which the Democrat lawmaker was loudly talking about tax cuts.

.@SecScottBessent nukes @SenatorBennet on President Trump’s tax cuts: “We had a referendum on November 5th on our economic policies. Your side lost.” pic.twitter.com/MLQ3AbZ36P

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 12, 2025

“Sir, we had a referendum on November 5th on … economic policies. Your side lost,” Bessent said.

The secretary kept going, but Bennet started to speak over him.

“I agree with that, and I’m a rare Democrat who doesn’t blame Donald Trump for winning,” Bennet exclaimed. “I’m sad he won.”

Bessent shot back, “A higher decibel level does not give your statements more veracity.”