Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sends snarky handwritten note to Senator Warren on Indigenous Peoples’ Day
On Oct. 10, 2026, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent replied to a request for information from Senator Elizabeth Warren with a letter that concluded with a handwritten note referencing Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The note, obtained by media outlets, read, “Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day to you and your family,” and added snarky remarks about the senator’s prior heritage claims and her grasp of foreign‑exchange markets. In the same addendum, Bessent suggested Warren take a tutorial, offering a “Foreign Exchange for Dummies” lesson and promising to include a “Fixed Income for Dummies” if she earned a passing grade on the “Yale metric, not the Harvard curve.”
The exchange follows a series of public sparrings between the two officials. In early October, Bessent fired back at Warren’s “Trumpflation” tracker, calling it a “statistical sleight of hand” and quipping, “Another day, another Econ 101 lesson for Professor Warren.” The Treasury secretary’s criticism focused on what he described as cherry‑picking data to obscure gains in purchasing power under former President Donald Trump.
Warren’s latest request asked for details on the Trump administration’s actions to lower borrowing costs for average Americans. In his response, Bessent refuted the senator’s characterization of rising Treasury yields as “self‑inflicted,” stating, “It is difficult to treat your concern as sincere.” He also linked the rise in federal‑funds rates to “Biden Administration’s reckless spending.”
Social‑media users amplified the handwritten addendum. One account posted the note’s image with the caption, “Instant classic from Bessent!” while another celebrated the exchange, noting the “Yale metric” remark as a “nice zinger.” The rapid sharing underscored how the personal tone of the correspondence resonated with audiences already attuned to partisan debates.
Political analysts observed that the incident highlights a growing pattern of sharp rhetoric between the Treasury and Democratic lawmakers. While the Treasury department traditionally maintains a neutral stance on policy disputes, Bessent’s overt mocking—particularly around culturally significant dates—has drawn criticism for blurring the line between policy critique and personal affront.
As the Treasury department continues to address Warren’s numerous information requests—more than 100 in the past 21 months—observers anticipate further exchanges that may shape public perception of both officials’ willingness to engage constructively on economic issues.
