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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., expressed staunch support for Israel’s assault against Iran, calling for the U.S. to back Israel’s efforts by providing the ally with anything it needs.

‘Our commitment to Israel must be absolute and I fully support this attack. Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel. We must provide whatever is necessary—military, intelligence, weaponry—to fully back Israel in striking Iran,’ Fetterman asserted Thursday night in a post on X.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reposted the senator’s post. 

It also shared a post in which U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed support for the U.S. ally. 

‘Israel IS right—and has a right—to defend itself!’ Johnson declared.

Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested that if Iran targets U.S. interests, America should execute ‘an overwhelming response’ that annihilates the foreign country’s oil infrastructure.

‘People are wondering if Iran will attack American military personnel or interests throughout the region because of Israel’s attack on Iran’s leadership and nuclear facilities,’ Graham noted Thursday night in a post on X. 

‘My answer is if they do, America should have an overwhelming response, destroying all of Iran’s oil refineries and oil infrastructure putting the ayatollah and his henchmen out of the oil business.’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Thursday night that the U.S. was ‘not involved in strikes against Iran’ and declared that ‘Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.’

President Donald Trump issued a Truth Social post on Friday morning in which he urged Iran to agree to a deal, apparently referring to a nuclear deal.

‘I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done. I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it. Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!’ Trump warned in his post.

‘There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!’

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President Donald Trump promised that Israel’s next round of attacks on Iran would be ‘even more brutal’ in a Truth Social post pressuring Iran to cut a deal on its nuclear activity. 

‘There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end,’ Trump said. 

‘Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.’

Trump said he warned Iran that ‘the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it.’

‘Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!’

The U.S. and Iran have another round of nuclear talks scheduled for this weekend in Muscat, Oman, while the two sides remain on opposite ends over whether Iran should have the capacity to enrich uranium at all, even for civil energy purposes. 

It is not clear whether those negotiations will carry on in light of the attack. Trump had urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to let talks play out before launching any strikes. 

 ‘I think it would blow it,’ Trump said earlier yesterday of the prospect of a premature Israeli attack. But then, he mused, it ‘might help it actually, but it also could blow it.’ 

After the attack, Secretary of State Marco Rubio put out a statement insisting the U.S. had no part in the strikes and urged Iran not to attack U.S. positions. Earlier, non-essential embassy staff in Iraq had been evacuated in light of the prospect of an attack. 

Tehran fired over 100 drones toward Israel on Friday morning in a counter-move, which Israel intercepted. 

Netanyahu revealed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck a key nuclear site, Natanz, during the attack on the regime.

Among those killed were top nuclear scientists and top military leaders: General Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s highest-ranking military official and chief of staff of the IRGC, along with most of the IRGC air force high command, who were convened in an underground bunker at the time. 

The first wave of strikes hit over 100 targets with 200 Israeli fighter jets dropping ‘330 different munitions,’ the IDF said, adding the strikes will carry on for days. 

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LAS VEGAS. — Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said Wednesday that he “did a cartwheel” in his living room when current chief executive Brian Niccol first coined his “back to Starbucks” strategy.

The enthusiasm from the 71-year-old Starbucks chairman emeritus is a key stamp of approval for Niccol as he tries to lift the company’s slumping sales and restore the chain’s culture.

Schultz, who grew Starbucks from a small chain into a global coffee giant, made a surprise appearance at the company’s Leadership Experience in Las Vegas and cosigned Niccol’s plans. The three-day event has gathered more than 14,000 North American store leaders to hear from Starbucks management as the company embarks on a turnaround.

Niccol took the reins in September, joining the company after the board ousted Laxman Narasimhan, Schultz’s handpicked successor.

Schultz had returned in 2022 for his third stint as chief executive, but it was only an interim role. He previously told CNBC that he has no plans to come back again. Schultz no longer holds a formal role within the company, although CNBC has previously reported that he’s forever entitled to attend board meetings unless barred by the company’s directors.

During Niccol’s first week on the job, he outlined plans for the comeback in an open letter, making the commitment to get “back to Starbucks.” More details on how the chain planned to return to its roots followed in the ensuing months, from bringing back seating inside cafes to writing personalized messages on cups. Under Niccol’s leadership, the company’s marketing has shifted to focus on its coffee, rather than discounts and promotions.

When Starbucks announced Narasimhan’s firing and Niccol’s hiring, Schultz issued a statement of support, saying that the then-Chipotle CEO was the leader that the company needs. However, the Leadership Experience marks the first time that Niccol and Schultz have appeared publicly together.

During Narasimhan’s short tenure as CEO, Schultz did not mince words when the company’s performance fell short of his expectations. After a dismal quarterly earnings report, he weighed in publicly on LinkedIn, saying the company needs to improve its mobile order and pay experience and overhaul how it creates new drinks to focus on premium items that set it apart.

But Schultz said Starbucks’ problems went further than just operational issues and lackluster beverages and food.

“The culture was not understood. The culture wasn’t valued. The culture wasn’t being upheld,” he said on Wednesday.

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More than $151 million worth of XRP was withdrawn from Binance on 11 June, according to on-chain data compiled by CryptoQuant, marking one of the most significant single-day outflows in recent memory.

The activity stood in sharp contrast to the relatively modest $23 million withdrawn the previous day.

This more than sixfold increase suggests a deliberate shift in positioning among large XRP holders, potentially signalling broader sentiment or institutional moves ahead of expected market developments.

On-chain data points to silent accumulation

While the price of XRP held steady around $2.31 during the withdrawal surge, the volume and nature of the activity indicate a possible accumulation phase.

Typically, such withdrawals mean tokens are being moved to private wallets, suggesting that holders are not planning to sell in the near term.

This pattern is commonly associated with high-conviction investors or so-called “whales”, who may be positioning themselves in anticipation of a future price move without disturbing the current market equilibrium.

Market participants often look to such trends for early indicators of institutional involvement or shifts in sentiment.

When large sums leave exchanges, it removes immediate selling pressure, which can tighten supply and set the stage for price action.

Although withdrawals are not a guarantee of a bullish rally, they do highlight changing investor behaviour, especially when combined with other developments across the XRP ecosystem.

XRP-linked partnerships and treasury investments grow

The timing of the outflows coincided with a significant development from VivoPower, a publicly traded firm.

On 11 June, the company announced a new partnership with the Flare blockchain to generate yield from its XRP reserves.

This follows a separate investment in May, when VivoPower allocated $121 million to XRP, creating the world’s first XRP-focused treasury reserve.

Such moves illustrate how corporate treasury strategies are beginning to incorporate blockchain yield opportunities.

Rather than liquidating assets, companies like VivoPower are now exploring mechanisms to generate returns through integrations with protocols such as Flare.

The Flare partnership suggests that XRP is being considered as a long-term asset, further validating the observed withdrawal patterns from Binance.

Ethereum compatibility coming to XRP Ledger

In a separate but potentially related development, Ripple is progressing towards Ethereum compatibility by rolling out an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) sidechain for the XRP Ledger.

The announcement was made at the Apex 2025 conference in Singapore by Ripple CTO David Schwartz. Blockchain firm Peersyst is leading the technical implementation of the sidechain, which is currently live on testnet.

A mainnet launch is expected by the end of Q2 2025 following validator onboarding.

The EVM sidechain is being built using evmOS, a software stack designed to enable high-speed, low-cost transactions from the XRP Ledger while supporting Ethereum-based smart contracts.

This integration would enable XRP to tap into Ethereum’s vast decentralised finance (DeFi) ecosystem, offering developers greater flexibility and expanding the ledger’s utility.

Unlike Ethereum-native chains, the XRP Ledger does not natively support the EVM environment, so this sidechain marks a strategic step toward bridging the two ecosystems.

The post XRP outflows hit $151 million as whales move funds off Binance appeared first on Invezz

Palantir stock price has surged to a record high as investors move back to artificial intelligence companies. PLTR jumped to a high of $139.77 on Wednesday, up by 110% from its lowest point in April. This surge has brought its market capitalization to over $321 billion, making it one of the biggest companies in the US.

Why Palantir stock price has surged

Palantir share price has jumped because of its growing business and market share in the artificial intelligence industry. 

Its annual results show that its business has been in a strong bull run in the past few months.

Data shows that its annual revenue has jumped from $1.09 billion in 2020 to $2.8 billion last year. 

It has also moved from being a loss-making company into a highly profitable one, making over $579 million in trailing twelve-month (TTM) profit.

The most recent results showed that Palantir Technologies’ business is firing on all cylinders, helped by its commercial and government business. Its US revenue rose by 55% in the last quarter and by 13% from the fourth quarter. 

The numbers showed that US commercial revenue rose by 71% to $255 million, while the government revenue rose by 45% to $373 million. This means that the commercial division is closing the gap with the government one. 

Including its international business, the company’s revenue jumped by 39% to over $884 million. This happened as the company closed 139 deals during the quarter, with most companies being interested in its artificial intelligence solutions. The CEO said:

“We are delivering the operating system for the modern enterprise in the era of AI. Consequently, we are raising our full-year guidance for total revenue growth to 36% and our guidance for U.S. commercial revenue growth to 68%.”

Rule of 40 shows PLTR stock is cheap

Analysts are optimistic that the company will continue growing. The average estimate is that its revenue will rise by 38% to $939 million. This will be followed by a 35% quarterly growth to $980 million.

Palantir is expected to make $3.9 billion in revenue this year, up from 35.9% from a year earlier. It will then make $5 billion next year, a 28% annualized growth. There are chances that the company’s business will beat analysts estimates this year.

A key issue about Palantir is that it is one of the most expensive companies in Wall Street. It has a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 228, much higher than the sector median of 22.80. Its forward EV to EBITDA ratio of 176 is higher than the sector median of 19.

While PE and EV to EBITDA multiples are important, analysts use the rule of 40 metric to value software companies. This approach looks at a company’s growth and its margins to estimate its valuation. Ideally, when the revenue growth and margin are added, the figure should be over 40.

In Palantir’s case, the company has a forward revenue growth figure of 31% and its net income and free cash flow margins of 18% and 29%, respectively. In this case, the rule of 40 is between 49% and 60%, meaning that it is not all that overvalued. 

Read more: US picks Palantir as data analysis partner, but why you shouldn’t jump into PLTR

Palantir share price technical analysis

PLTR stock chart | Source: TradingView

The daily chart shows that the PLTR stock price has made a bullish breakout, moving above the key resistance level at $125.20. This was a notable level since it was the upper side of the cup and handle pattern.

The C&H pattern has a depth of 47%. Measuring the same distance from the cup’s upper side gives it a target of $184, which is about 35% above the current level. A drop below the support at $120 will invalidate the bullish outlook.

The post Here’s why Palantir stock price is cheap and could surge 35% appeared first on Invezz

IBM stock price has surged to a record high, capping a turnaround that started in 2020 when it crashed to a low of $68.45. It has jumped by 315%, giving it a market capitalization of over $250 billion, making it one of the biggest technology companies.

IBM turnaround continues

IBM, commonly known as the Big Blue, has gone through a remarkable turnaround in the past few years. This turnaround started in 2020 after the company had a rough patch under Ginni Rometty.

Krishna has implemented several strategies to turn around the company. Its most important approach was to spin off its infrastructure business into Kyndryl, a company whose market cap has jumped to almost $10 billion.

Spinning out the infrastructure removed billions in stagnant revenue and let it to focus in faster-growing areas like cloud and artificial intelligence. It also let the company shed over 73,000 employees.

Krishna has also implemented several acquisitions to boost its business in emerging markets. It acquired HashiCorp last year in a $6.4 billion deal, a move that introduced a high-growth and high-margin business. 

Further, IBM has focused on accelerating its hybrid computing model, which allows companies to store data on the cloud and on-premises. 

This approach has started to pay off as its annual revenue has risen gradually from $54 billion in 2020 to $62.8 billion in the trailing twelve months (TTM). 

Growth is continuing

The most recent results showed that IBM’s business has grown gradually, with its artificial intelligence business starting to pay off. Its revenue rose by 1% to $14.5 billion. 

This growth happened as the software revenue rose by 7%, while its consulting and infrastructure revenue fell by 2% and 6%. Krishna said:

“There continues to be strong demand for generative A, and our book of business stands at more than $6 billion inception-to-date, up more than $1 billion in the quarter.”

Analysts anticipate that IBM’s growth will continue this year. The average revenue estimate for the current quarter is $16.5 billion, a 5.15% increase from the same period last year. 

IBM will then make $16 billion in the third quarter, $66 billion this year, and $69 billion in the next financial year. These numbers will represent about 5% annualized growth rate. 

IBM’s earnings per share is expected to grow to $2.65, up from $2.43, while its annual EPS will be $10.9 and $11.64, respectively.

The company hopes to continue growing by focusing on its core business and its quantum computing. It is working on a new quantum computer that will be fault-tolerant by 2029. Analysts believe that the quantum computing industry will grow from $1.3 billion in 2024 to $5.3 billion by 2019. 

These numbers may help to justify its valuation multiples. The company has a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 25, a few points higher than the sector’s median of 22.

IBM stock price forecast

IBM share price chart | Source: TradingView 

The daily chart shows that the IBM share price has been in a strong bull run in the past few months. Most recently, it has risen in the past nine consecutive days, pushing it to the highest level on record. 

IBM has moved above the key resistance level at $269.4, the highest point on May 19. It invalidated the forming double-top pattern by moving above that level.

IBM has remained above all moving averages, while the Average Directional Index has jumped to 20, a sign that the trend is continuing. 

Therefore, the most likely scenario is where the stock moves to $270 and then resumes the uptrend. Such a move would then push it to $300.

The post IBM stock price hits all-time high: will it hit $300 this month? appeared first on Invezz

The tragic Air India plane crash near the Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday has thrown Boeing back into the spotlight, with more than 100 people feared dead and investors reacting sharply.

Boeing share price was down by 6% in pre-market trading on Thursday, while GE Aerospace, which likely powered the aircraft saw it share price down by more than 2.6%.

Shares of fuselage maker Spirit AeroSystems, currently in the process of being acquired by Boeing, fell 2.7%.

The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick when it crashed shortly after take-off, carrying 242 passengers and crew.

Reuters said that according to local police sources, 100 bodies had been brought to a hospital in Ahmedabad, with dozens more reportedly injured.

The aircraft struck a residential area near the BJ Medical College, including a hostel for intern doctors, causing additional casualties on the ground.

The exact number of fatalities remains unverified by authorities at the time of writing.

According to data from Flightradar24, the aircraft bore the registration VT-ANB and had been in service for nearly 12 years.

GE Aerospace, in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), said it was assembling an emergency response team to assist Indian authorities with the investigation.

Boeing, too, issued a brief statement: “We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information.” Air India said it was fully cooperating with authorities.

First fatal crash for Boeing 787 Dreamliner

This is the first fatal crash involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a twin-aisle widebody jet that entered service in 2011.

It is one one of the company’s best-selling widebody jets, and has been delivered to nearly 1,200 customers since its debut.

Despite its commercial success, the Dreamliner has faced several production hurdles.

Early on, it grappled with supply-chain disruptions and a series of battery fires that led global aviation regulators to temporarily ground the fleet in 2013.

More recently, Boeing was forced to halt deliveries of the aircraft for nearly two years due to quality-control concerns.

However, broadly, the aircraft has had a solid safety record over the years.

Thursday’s crash not only shatters that record but could also hinder Boeing’s efforts to rebuild trust after years of setbacks tied to its troubled 737 MAX program.

Boeing Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg, who took over in August, has told employees that the company is on a fragile path to recovery and can’t afford another mistake.

“This is a knee-jerk reaction, but it revives fears about the long-running issues Boeing has faced with both production and aircraft safety,” said Chris Beauchamp, an analyst at IG Group, in a Reuters report.

Fallout ahead of Paris Air Show

The timing of the crash is particularly damaging for Boeing.

The company had been preparing for the Paris Air Show, an event typically marked by large commercial jet orders.

CEO Kelly Ortberg was scheduled to attend, but there has been no official update on whether his plans will change.

Industry experts worry the incident may cloud investor and customer sentiment at the show, especially as Boeing continues to recover from a series of past safety and manufacturing issues.

Although the cause of the crash remains unknown, early assessments suggest a manufacturing flaw is unlikely given the aircraft’s age and the Dreamliner’s reputation.

Nonetheless, investigators will now closely examine both the aircraft and its maintenance history, alongside other potential contributing factors.

A painful reminder of past Boeing tragedies

The crash evokes memories of Boeing’s most painful period: the grounding of the 737 MAX in 2019 following two catastrophic crashes — Lion Air Flight 610 in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019 — that claimed 346 lives collectively.

Those accidents were ultimately traced to faulty flight control software, prompting years of regulatory scrutiny and damaged public trust.

In early 2024, a 737 MAX flight operated by Alaska Airlines suffered a mid-air panel blowout, further delaying Boeing’s path to full reputational recovery, even though no lives were lost.

The Air India crash could be the deadliest airline disaster since Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine in 2014, killing 298.

It is also the worst for Air India since the bombing of Flight 182 in 1985, which killed all 329 onboard.

The post Air India plane crash: BA, GE shares fall; will it threaten Boeing’s road to recovery? appeared first on Invezz

US stocks fell Thursday after President Donald Trump warned he could impose unilateral tariffs on trading partners within two weeks, rattling investor sentiment.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 246 points, or nearly 0.6%, weighed down by a sharp decline in Boeing shares.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.3%, while the Nasdaq Composite also lost 0.3%.

Boeing fell 5% after one of its 787 Dreamliners, operated by Air India, crashed shortly after takeoff with 242 people on board.

The incident raised fresh safety concerns around the aircraft model.

In contrast, Oracle shares surged more than 9% after the software giant reported fiscal fourth-quarter results that topped estimates on both revenue and profit.

The company also gave upbeat guidance on continued growth in its cloud business.

Investors were also digesting new economic data.

The May producer price index — a gauge of final demand prices — rose just 0.1% following a 0.2% decline in April. Economists had expected a 0.2% increase, reinforcing expectations that inflation pressures remain muted.

Trump tariff truce to be extended?

Markets remain focused on global trade tensions. Trump said Wednesday he was open to extending a July 8 deadline for concluding trade negotiations with key partners, but suggested extensions might be unnecessary.

“I would, but I don’t think we’re going to have that necessity. We made a great deal with China,” Trump told reporters.

“We’re dealing with Japan, we’re dealing with South Korea. We’re dealing with a lot of them.”

Talks between US and Chinese officials this week in London resulted in a framework for continued discussions.

While details remain vague, both sides agreed to ease certain restrictions around rare earth metals and foreign student access.

Thursday’s losses extend a slight pullback from Wednesday, when the S&P 500 and Nasdaq snapped a three-day winning streak. Despite recent declines, the S&P 500 remains just over 2% below its February record high.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also indicated Wednesday that the 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs could be extended for 18 of the United States’ major trading partners currently “negotiating in good faith.”

Testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee, Bessent said it was “highly likely” that the US would “roll the date forward to continue good faith negotiations” with those countries.

His remarks mark a shift in the administration’s stance, as officials had previously insisted that no extension would be granted without concrete terms of an agreement in place.

The tariff pause, originally announced on April 9, was aimed at de-escalating trade tensions while talks continued.

Bessent’s comments suggest a more flexible posture from the White House as it seeks to sustain momentum in ongoing negotiations.

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President Donald Trump’s $9.4 billion spending cuts package survived a key hurdle on Wednesday afternoon, setting the measure up for a final House-wide vote later this week.

Trump’s proposal, which was introduced as legislation by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., would cut $8.3 billion from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and just over $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting distributes federal funding to NPR and PBS.

The House of Representatives made a procedural motion known as a ‘rule vote,’ which passed mostly along party lines. 

The rule passing now allows for debate on the $9.4 billion spending cut measure, followed by a final House-wide vote.

But it’s not atypical for House leaders to include unrelated measures in rule votes, as is the case with the spending cuts package – House GOP leaders included a provision with minor changes to Trump’s ‘one big, beautiful bill’ to account for the Senate needing to amend the bill.

That latter piece of legislation, a vast tax and immigration bill, is moving through the budget reconciliation process.

By dropping the Senate’s threshold for advancement from 60 votes to 51, it allows the party in power to skirt the minority – in this case, Democrats – on vast pieces of legislation, provided they adhere to a specific set of budgetary rules.

House GOP leaders said they needed to make the recent changes to the bill to better adhere to the Senate’s ‘Byrd Bath,’ when the Senate parliamentarian reviews the bill and removes anything not adhering to reconciliation guidelines.

Whereas that deals with the government’s mandatory spending processes that are more difficult to amend, the $9.4 billion spending cuts package tackles discretionary spending that Congress controls every year.

It’s called a ‘rescissions package,’ which is a formal proposal by the White House to claw back federal funds already allocated for the current fiscal year.

Like reconciliation, the mechanism allows for a 51-vote majority in the Senate rather than 60. Congress has 45 days to consider it, or it is deemed rejected.

Republican leaders have held up this rescissions package as the first step to codifying the billions of dollars of government waste identified by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Trump allies have also made clear they view this first package as a test of what kind of cuts congressional Republicans can stomach.

And while the rule vote was expected to pass, the bill could have trouble ahead of its expected Thursday afternoon vote.

Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., pointed out in a bipartisan statement that the media funding represents less than 0.01% of the federal budget and said taking that money away would ‘dismantle a trusted source of information for millions of Americans.’

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told reporters on Tuesday that he got assurances that USAID cuts would exclude critical medical funding.

‘I feel better than what I was hearing last week, that was gonna be a total cut,’ he said, without revealing whether he would support the bill.

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A House Ways and Means Committee hearing took an unexpected turn Wednesday when Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) accused Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of interrupting her because of her gender—prompting audible groans from the room.

The exchange occurred during a tense five-minute questioning session, where Sanchez challenged Bessent on the impact of tariffs enacted under President Trump’s administration.

‘Prices are rising on many everyday goods,’ Sanchez said, citing increases in clothing, shoes, canned food, toys, and household tools. She added, ‘On average, Trump’s tariffs are estimated to cost households $3,000 more for the same goods than they would have last year,’ though she did not cite the source of the figure when pressed.

When Bessent attempted to interject, Sanchez quickly cut him off: ‘Please don’t interrupt me… I know I’m a woman, but please try to limit yourself to answering my questions.’

That remark prompted groans from the hearing room, with one attendee audibly reacting, ‘Oh, come on.’ Sanchez responded: ‘No, I’m sorry, but we get talked over all the time, and I don’t want that to happen at this hearing.’

Bessent, who is openly gay, did not address the accusation and instead focused on defending the administration’s trade policies. 

When Sanchez challenged him on pricing impacts and China’s trade behavior, Bessent responded, ‘That’s incorrect,’ and said, ‘They met their agreements under President Trump in 2020, and President Biden did not enforce them.’

Sanchez repeatedly claimed that American consumers are paying more due to tariffs and described recent negotiations with China as rushed and lacking transparency. ‘A poorly negotiated trade deal with China is probably not worth the paper that it is written on,’ she said. ‘I was alarmed to hear this morning that Trump said the U.S.–China deal was done after just two days of talks in London.’

Bessent defended the agreement as an initial step. ‘The deal struck was for a specific goal, and it will be a much longer process,’ he said, adding, ‘China has proven an unreliable partner.’

The clash between Sanchez and Bessent was repeatedly moderated by Chairman Adrian Smith (R-NE), who reminded members of time limits and decorum throughout the hearing.

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