(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett is under fire for dismissing widespread expert concerns over the potential economic fallout from President Donald Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill.” During a tense exchange on CBS, Hassett responded to deficit warnings by declaring that “truth is not democracy” and “science is not democracy.”
CBS host Weijia Jiang challenged Hassett with figures from multiple respected institutions that estimate the bill could balloon the national deficit by $3 trillion.
“There’s a consensus that this bill adds tremendously to the deficit. I know that you are so familiar with these numbers,” Jiang began. “The Yale Budget Lab estimates it will add $3 trillion to the debt. The Tax Foundation says $3 trillion. This tax portion of the bill could also add $3 trillion to the deficit.”
Jiang then pressed, “Help me understand why there is such a drastic difference between your number and all those others.”
Hassett’s response raised eyebrows: “Well, first of all, let’s remember that science is not democracy. Truth is not democracy.”
He continued, defending the administration’s internal projections. “Our estimates are based on modeling that we used last time when I was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors to say what would happen if we had a bill, how much growth we would get. We run the same models through this tax bill. It’s even better.”
Hassett also criticized outside analysts, claiming their economic track records were questionable. “I don’t think that these places have a very strong record. And what they need to do is get back to the basics of looking at macroeconomic models,” he added.
The interview highlights growing concerns among economists and policymakers over the bill’s long-term impact. Critics argue that the legislation, while offering tax cuts and short-term growth boosts, could severely burden the country’s fiscal future.
Hassett’s remarks, particularly his distinction between science, truth, and democracy, have drawn backlash for appearing to downplay empirical evidence in favor of political ideology.
As debate over the bill continues, the administration remains adamant that its economic vision will deliver growth despite a chorus of voices warning that the numbers don’t add up.
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