Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s feud with Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) has reignited amid the government shutdown.
The clash stems from a letter signed by the two senators and 19 other Democrats, accusing the Trump administration of favoring Argentina “over American farmers and rural communities” through a proposed $20 billion currency swap, which they say would bolster U.S. competitors and harm farmers.
“Instead of prioritizing U.S. farmers and rural communities, the administration has doubled down on aiding Argentina when family farmers are running out of time and cannot continue to endure short-sighted international actions instead of long-term trade stability,” the lawmakers wrote. “We urge you to immediately reconsider further aid to Argentina and to instead focus on restoring and expanding long-term export market access for American farmers.”
In his latest swipe at Klobuchar, Bessent said the shutdown would end once she and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer “finish your tantrum” and support a continuing resolution.
“The shutdown will end when you and Senator Schumer finish your tantrum and vote for the clean, non-partisan funding bill. It’s time for you to be a hero, join with your sane, moderate colleagues, and allow millions of American families to sit side-by-side around the Thanksgiving table,” Bessent wrote in an X post Friday morning.
Bessent blasted Warren and Klobuchar as “failures,” saying their staff should “stop writing incoherent letters” and focus on reopening the government. Citing President Trump’s Asia trip and Argentina’s economic recovery, Bessent accused them of opposing “economic freedom” abroad while hurting American farmers at home.
“@SenWarren and @SenAmyKlobuchar: you are failures,” Bessent wrote in a post to X. “You failed to derail the electoral success of one of our great allies in Latin America, President @JMilei. He won in a landslide with the poorest members of society voting for economic freedom—a notion anathema in particular to the Senate’s resident American Peronist, Senator Warren.”
“You failed to reopen the government, preventing our administration’s efforts to get aid to American farmers, as well as our planned activation of the Farm Credit Agency to assist our farmers with next year’s crops,” Bessent added.
.@SenWarren and @SenAmyKlobuchar: you are failures.
You failed to derail the electoral success of one of our great allies in Latin America, President @JMilei. He won in a landslide with the poorest members of society voting for economic freedom—a notion anathema in particular… pic.twitter.com/Q6bOQFDKBI
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) October 29, 2025
Responding to Bessent’s post, Klobuchar joked she initially thought it came from a fake account, noting she and the secretary “have had no public or private personal ‘BEEFS’ (Argentinian or otherwise),” referencing another Trump administration controversy. She defended her “super serious and fact-based letter,” saying it “simply asked if you would reconsider the tariff policies and foreign bailout.” The proposed Argentine beef imports have faced bipartisan criticism, with several farm-state Republicans urging the president to prioritize American ranchers.
“And while your announcement today reversing just part of your own administration’s bad policies is always helpful, there is just so much left to undo before these across-the-board tariffs upend the economy in rural America forever, not to mention becoming a huge burden in the form of the tariff tax on all Americans. In any case, let me know when you are ready to meet to discuss tariffs over some 40% more expensive coffee,” Klobuchar added.
The government shutdown has stretched to 31 days with no resolution in sight. If it continues past Nov. 5, it will surpass the 35-day shutdown of 2019 as the longest in U.S. history.
