Scott Bessent, Treasury secretary, says Trump is frustrated by media’s take on economy

President Trump isn’t thrilled with the headlines about his economy. That’s according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who on Sunday suggested the mainstream press is fueling public skepticism.

“I think the president is frustrated by the media coverage of what is going on,” Mr. Bessent said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

His comments came in response to CBS polling showing 60% of Americans say Mr. Trump paints too rosy a picture of inflation and prices. The survey found his approval rating on the economy has slipped to 36% and his approval rating on inflation to 32%.

Public skepticism about the economy was apparent last month in off-year elections, where the Democrats’ focus on the Trump administration’s struggle to reduce costs and make things more affordable resonated with voters in gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey and New York City’s mayoral race.

Republicans on Capitol Hill continue to blame former President Joseph R. Biden for inflation that has driven up costs, but have also acknowledged that the party must do more to address the public’s concerns about affordability.

They are also concerned that Mr. Trump recently sent the wrong message when he downplayed cost-of-living concerns, saying affordability “doesn’t mean anything to anybody.”

“The word ‘affordability’ is a Democrat scam,” Mr. Trump said. “They say it and then they go into the next subject and everyone thinks, ‘Oh, they had lower prices.’ No, they had the worst inflation in the history of our country.”

Mr. Trump cited lower gas prices, lower mortgage rates and cheaper eggs as proof that things are improving.

On Sunday, Mr. Bessent said media coverage of the economy misses a key point: Mr. Trump inherited what he called “embedded inflation” from the Biden administration, which he described as the worst in half a century.

“What we are not going to do is say that Americans don’t know what they are feeling,” he said. “We have been making a lot of gains.”

He pointed to rising real wages and incomes and highlighted improvements in the so-called Common Man Index — a measure of essentials such as food, energy and clothing.