Bessent Says They’re Laying ‘Bear Traps’ Nationwide Based On Minnesota Model [WATCH]

Scott Bessent confirmed that a nationwide fraud investigation is underway during an exchange with Christopher Rufo, outlining an approach that emphasizes deliberate, evidence-driven enforcement and signaling that the effort will extend across all 50 states.

The exchange began with Rufo referencing earlier tensions within the administration and raising questions about the role of Elon Musk’s warnings on waste, fraud, and abuse.

Rufo framed his question by pointing back to the early days of the administration and asking whether the core premise behind DOGE has become more relevant.

“It makes me think back to the beginning of the administration. You had some very high profile disagreements with Elon Musk, who was running DOGE. Is the basic thesis of DOGE being more necessary than ever. And do you think there’s a way to amplify that work moving forward?” Rufo asked.

Bessent responded by stating that he has always been aligned with Musk on the underlying issue of waste, fraud, and abuse, while drawing a distinction between their respective approaches to enforcement and investigation.

“Yeah, and Chris, to be clear, I was in 100% alignment with Elon on the waste, fraud and abuse,” Bessent said.

Bessent went on to explain that the difference centered on methodology rather than substance, contrasting what he described as a fast-moving Silicon Valley mindset with a more methodical approach adopted by the Treasury.

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“It was just I the Silicon Valley motto is move fast and break things. I said the my personal motto and the Treasury motto is, move deliberately and fix things,” Bessent said.

According to Bessent, that deliberate approach is guiding current investigations, which he said are designed to produce conclusive results rather than immediate publicity.

He emphasized that the public should not expect rapid headlines announcing enforcement actions.

“And that’s what you’re going to see in our investigations. You’re not going to see headlines tomorrow. You’re not going to see them next week,” Bessent said.

Bessent explained that investigators are focused on building airtight cases before taking action, ensuring that once targets are identified, they cannot evade accountability.

“but in a month quarter that once we get people in the bear trap, they’re not getting out, because we will have conclusive evidence to present,” he said.

He also described how investigators intend to use plea negotiations as a tool to expose broader networks involved in fraud, beginning with lower-level offenders and working upward.

“and I think that they will have to make plea deals that they will be willing to negotiate to turn in higher ups to help us map out how this happened,” Bessent said.

Bessent stated that the investigative framework being applied is not limited to a single state and that Minnesota is serving as a starting point for a broader national effort.

“And again, we’re going to take this Minnesota map to other 49 states,” he said.

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