WASHINGTON, D.C. – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt held a press briefing with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Tuesday morning.
The White House described the topic as “unleashing economic greatness.”
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Last week, Bessent leveled harsh criticism at the operations of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday even as he tried to reassure nervous investors that the United States would maintain its global leadership role.
“America first does not mean America alone,” he said in a speech to the Institute of International Finance, where he also promised support for the multilateral banks’ core missions. “To the contrary, it is a call for deeper collaboration and mutual respect among trade partners.”
Although Bessent said the IMF and the World Bank are “falling short,” he did not call for the U.S. to withdraw from the institutions.
He said the institutions “serve critical roles in the international system. And the Trump administration is eager to work with them — so long as they can stay true to their missions.”
It was the latest example of how Bessent, a former hedge fund manager who keeps a close eye on the financial markets, has tried to calm the economic turmoil as President Donald Trump tries to rewire international trade through aggressive tariffs