Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Rep. James Clyburn, David Axelrod and Van Jones

State of the Union

CNN

News

3.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 May 2025

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On CNN’s State of the Union, Jake Tapper sits down with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to discuss Trump’s tariff policy, efforts to negotiate trade deals, and plans for the US to accept a luxury jet from Qatar. Then, Jake presses Democratic Rep. James Clyburn over his past support for Joe Biden’s re-election campaign amid new reporting about Biden’s health. Next, CNN Chief Political Analyst David Axelrod and CNN Senior Political Commentator Van Jones join Jake to respond to his reporting that top Biden aides hid signs of decline from the public. Finally, Jake previews his new book “Original Sin” and looks at the dilemma facing Democrats as they try to look ahead to 2028. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Price check. President Trump touts his mid-east deal-making.
0:08.7	Nobody's treated well like that.
0:10.7	But threatens new tariffs ahead.
0:12.8	We'll be telling people what they'll be paying to do business in the United States.
0:17.2	With a key retailer's new warning, can America's economy withstand this stress test?
0:22.3	Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is live next. Plus, party foul. Republicans in Congress deadlock
0:28.5	over Trump's big, beautiful bill. I may know on this bill. I may hard know. Can Trump muscle it through
0:34.6	and how would the cuts affect you? Congressman Jim Clyburn is ahead.
0:38.6	And hindsight.
0:39.9	New evidence of President Biden's frailty.
0:42.3	As Democrats scramble to explain their support.
0:45.2	I was busy working.
0:46.3	They never saw any of that.
0:47.5	Will the Democrats try to move on or face the truth?
0:50.9	David Axelrod and Van Jones join me to discuss.
0:53.4	The United States. Face the truth, David Axelrod and Van Jones join me to discuss.
1:02.7	Hello, I'm Dick Tapper in Washington, where the state of our union is uncertain.
1:07.1	After a tightly controlled visit to the Middle East and the emergence of a new Trump doctrine,
1:12.2	more focused on dealmaking than on spreading democratic ideals, the president is back home, and he is being plunged back into our messy democracy as the courts try to block some of
1:17.3	his migrant deportation flights. Republican holdouts in Congress rebelled against his pricey tax cut
1:23.0	and spending cut plan, with the bill's fate unclear as of this hour, and the deadly conflicts in Gaza and
1:28.3	Ukraine proving complicated to solve. On Monday, President Trump will turn his focus to Russia's war in
	...

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