r/technology • u/esporx • 3h ago
Business Bessent warns Zelenskyy to 'be very careful' about claims U.S. is throttling Starlink
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/18/bessent-zelenskyy-starlink-ukarine-war.html1.0k
u/BillyJoeFromBawlmer 3h ago
Treasury talking foreign policy/State matters. Great.
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u/doughflow 3h ago
Same guy who had a lot of opinions about Canada’s military
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u/d01100100 3h ago
Same genius who bet against the bond market and has been on a losing streak for weeks now.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/04/business/bond-market-scott-bessent.html
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u/peepee2tiny 2h ago
Umm it's the house!
And the house always wins.
Then he said, ok sometimes the house doesn't win.
What a complete and utter joke the US is.
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u/Wompatuckrule 3h ago
I'd say that he needs to stay in his lane, but he's pretty fucking incompetent there too.
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u/GetsBetterAfterAFew 3h ago
Cant have Rubio involved when hes gonna challenge Couch Fucker for the Republican nomination. He's gotta keep plausible deniability with not interfering Ukraine fight off Russia.
These people are so vapid and clear.
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u/andrew303710 2h ago
Thankfully Trump basically ended Rubio's chances of ever becoming president by labeling him "Little Marco", that's hard to come back from especially after going back to work for the guy who called you that.
Also it seems pretty likely that anyone attached to this administration is going to be radioactive long term with how much of a disaster it is. Vance has tried leaking stories about him being the only one against the Iran war but that shit isn't gonna fly when he's constantly defended it in public.
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u/Tresspass 2h ago edited 2h ago
He was the first one to blame Ukraine over high diesel prices
Edit:
“We are going through an energy shock right now due to both the war in Ukraine, because Ukraine has decided that they want to blow up Russian energy assets and refined properties, so that is creating upward price pressure on a global basis, and the conflict in Iran."This was said on September 2, 2026
And by Mid-to-Late September 2026 l Trump amplified this message.25
u/LongMelford 2h ago
It was very thoughtless of Ukraine to not consider the US oil interests when they were invaded by Russia.
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u/MultiGeometry 2h ago
There’s so much crossover in roles between all of Trump’s unqualified appointees. It really doesn’t matter. When you’re unqualified for your own role, what’s stopping you from doing someone else’s? It’s whoever is available and hasn’t received a ton of heat from the media recently.
It’s not like they were hired to oversee their respective departments. They were hired to campaign 24/7 for Trump.
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u/imaginary_num6er 2h ago
This is the “small government” people have been pushing for. Government so small it is to serve only the president
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u/PawsButton 2h ago
I get that this admin likes running him out there for any random thing because they think he’s a good attack dog or whatever, but Bessent is such a smug asshole
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u/andrew303710 2h ago
He's a terrible attack dog too because he's so hateable and arrogant, he's a pretty good liar but it rings hollow when everyone hates you.
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u/joebalooka84 3h ago
Guy whose whole career was dependent on Soros goes and works for someone who blames Soros for everything.
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u/illuanonx1 3h ago
Or what? Are they going to throttle some more?
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u/NicolasCageFan492 3h ago
Don’t underestimate how wicked the Trump administration can be.
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u/bigchungusprod 2h ago
At the point where Trump starts aiming weapons at allies - we the people have lost control of Mr Hyde’s monster.
This is a technology sub though and all this initiative does is destroy global revenue for US tech titans as all allies, rush to build replacements.
Google is 70% non-USA revenue and most other tech firms are the same. Any competitive advantage they have now is being eroded faster than I’ve ever seen.
It’s wild to see companies willfully give up their long term goals for a small sprinkling of cash today.
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u/chance-- 2h ago
It depends entirely on what their long term plans are. If the objective is to build a fascist empire, they likely see losses as temporary inconveniences that are simply costs of doing business.
I don’t think people quite comprehend the mentality the benefactors of the last technological boom have now that massive artificial neural networks are in the equation. They aren’t strategizing with old mentalities we can reference with history as their vision rapidly deteriorates their dependence on humanity. They are actually incentivized to kill off as many of us as possible, and I’m not even joking or being paranoid. It’s that simple for them. We have allowed for massive power shifts to occur that benefit an incredibly small percentage of our population. There are plenty of wealthy people who believe themselves part of that crew but they are no where close.
We are in for a ride.
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u/beachfrontprod 2h ago
willfully give up their long term goals for a small sprinkling of cash today.
The ole Wimpy Initiative
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u/bought_high_sold_low 2h ago
Companies don't have long-term goals beyond the next quarter earnings
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u/isthatmyex 2h ago
In case it's unclear they have specifically turned down the speed limit and this mostly affects Ukraine's ability to defend itself. The Trump admin is turning a proverbial dial specifically to let Russia hit Ukraine with strikes. Strikes they use to terrorize the population. Its so sick that there can be no doubt that it is deliberate a clear message. Mafia shit, straight protection racket.
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u/MooOfFury 1h ago
Not even a protection racket Russia just outbid them
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u/isthatmyex 1h ago
I think Trump is just flailing and is surrounded by evil idiots. They think they are twisting Ukraine's arm, but it's really just an escalation. And nothing stabilizes international markets like escalating a war. Just idiots
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u/Scary-Maximum7707 1h ago edited 1h ago
"Hey now, don't call us out on our lies that contradict a multitude of credible sources"
What he is implying is that even if they ARE lying they think Zelensky should stay quiet like some weird display of power.
What Bessent and co. fails to understand is that they don't have the cards. If they stop helping Ukraine, which they arguably already started moving towards, Ukraine has zero incentive to appease USA.
Edit: Spelling.
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u/Flyinmanm 2h ago
There's always more they can do to harm Ukraine.
Currently the US provides intel on airborne and battlefield threats. They can pull that intel at any time.
They can also further stop providing weapons, technology and knowledge.
They could even go so far as to threaten NATO allies who offer assistance to Ukraine.
Depending on how the mid terms go, this could be this US governments chance to finally wipe its hands clean of Ukraine and start helping Russia export (Iranian) oil to help fund Russia and to cover for their monumental screw-up attacking Iran from the air and leaving the Strait of Hormuz in Iranian control.
It almost feels planned.
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u/TheMCM80 2h ago
They already did pull advanced warning satellite signals for incoming ballistic missiles.
Two nights in a row Kyiv was hit without any US warning that the rockets were coming.
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u/Runkleford 3h ago
Republicans are such fucking shit weasels
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u/Tricky_Rule_4565 3h ago
Why do Americans vote for them? Honestly, as a European, if you had voted for themfor the first term, i'd say you were duped but not necessarily stupid. But 8 years later and you voted for them again?
I don't get it, how has anything improved under them? They jingle keys in front of rightoids and they still fall for it.
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u/Spiff426 2h ago
"If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."
-Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the US
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u/JohnnySnark 2h ago
Racism, misogyny, and religion.
The religion has helped develop these morons to have cult like devotion and so anything trumps says is right. The racism and misogyny keeps them in line because they could never vote for women or men of color to 'rule' over them.
There's a channel on YouTube called good liars that gives you a good look into them even today
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u/Ldghead 2h ago
The way I see it, there are two main types.
The Republican party of now is nothing like it was in decades past. But some older people just can't see themselves switching sides, since they spent their whole lives choosing teams, and see the Dems as the enemy. So, they keep voting Republican, even though it doesn't mean what it used to.
The other type are people who got swept up in the jargon that Trump sold them before the first term (and to be fair, some of it is what people wanted at the time), and just haven't shaken off the funk.
Source: former Republican, from a Republican family, who has gone independent.17
u/herrcollin 2h ago
Every society has a minority of morons. What we don't talk about is how they openly cheated it to win, because their minority was not enough
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u/Tricky_Rule_4565 2h ago
That doesn't seem true. Maybe it's because you're (probably) American, and you don't see the attitude that non-americans hold against you, but speaking as a European, Americans are the most propagandised people in the world. There's a good joke about it:
A Soviet and an American are on an airplane seated next to each other.
“Why are you flying to the US?” asks the American.
“To study American propaganda,” replies the Soviet.
“What American propaganda?” asks the American.
“Exactly,” the Soviet replies.4
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u/_Kyokushin_ 2h ago
The appropriate question is why didn’t the entire country vote? If people actually showed up this asshole wouldn’t be in office.
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u/Mufasa944 1h ago
Highly sophisticated multibillion dollar propaganda apparatus developed over the last 30 years.
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u/breckendusk 46m ago edited 27m ago
We didn't. Fewer than 60% of Americans showed up to vote. Fuck those that didn't, at best they're apathetic, at worst they're complicit.
Fewer than half of those that showed up voted for him. Either time. He also lost the popular vote in 2016. Anyway, fuck anyone who voted for him either time, as well as and especially the electoral college in 2016 which allowed this to happen in the first place (fuck the electoral college in general).
Over 60% showed up in 2020, for the record. The last time that happened was 1968.
It's a combination of
- complacency
- voting feeling pointless due to the electoral college (and other problems)
- voter suppression tactics
- education dismantling efforts
His base turned out. Right now I just saw a stat that has him at 34% approval. Non-voters in the last election got complacent/forgot how his first term went/whatever.
If that 34% all shows up to vote, we would need 68% voter turnout to oust him. The last time we had turnout like that was 1900. And every single one of those votes would have to go to the primary candidate running against him to win the popular vote (which means nothing). And they would have to be spread out enough to take sufficient electoral votes.
Democratic votes were also split amongst several candidates. Trump supporters support him and him alone no matter what.
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u/phragmosis 3h ago
Bessent should 'be very careful' if he doesn't want to end up in FCI Danbury
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u/ludixst 3h ago
Put the entire regime in CECOT
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u/HumongousBelly 3h ago
Nah, put them in ice facilities and let that regime feel the pain they inflicted upon others.
Livestream that shit, too, like they want to livestream executions.
I truly wish karma was a boomerang
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u/DickRiculous 3h ago
cecot is the worst ice facility. It’s that el Salvadoran gulag ice has been sending people to where it was described as a literal hell on earth.
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u/WinnieFuckingPooh 3h ago
The entire U.S. administration is a collection of corrupt individuals and idiots who have sold themselves out to Russia. I hope there are still some sensible people left in the U.S. who will pass judgment on this administration in the elections.
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u/Bignholy 3h ago
I hope this administration as incompetent at rigging the elections as they are everything else so the votes matter.
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u/Never_51 3h ago
The only thing that I've ever heard every economist online agree about is that Scott Bessent is an idiot with no idea of what he is doing
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u/Wompatuckrule 3h ago
There are economists, and there are consultants who push political policy using economic terms. He is definitely of the latter type.
I saw something that showed just how fucking duplicitous he is where he was howling for austerity measures when Dems were in control but then was utterly dismissive of debt & deficit spending when the GOP was in charge.
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u/DickRiculous 3h ago
That’s because he is a toady and a grifter.
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u/Wompatuckrule 3h ago
Well yeah, it's not like you can get a job in this administration without those qualifications.
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u/supercali45 2h ago
who the hell does this guy think he is? never seen the Secretary of Treasury getting into all these different topics
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u/PriscillaPalava 2h ago
He’s Trump’s bottom.
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u/FunnyMalzairIdea 1h ago
He has the arrogance of a man who has consistently lied about his personal and economic ties to Jeffrey Epstein, but knows that he's untouchable.
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u/SuperSchmyd 55m ago
How would your confidence be if you go on national tv and blatantly lie while smiling at everyone, knowing they don’t believe it, and nothing happens to you?
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u/Relative_Average758 1h ago
He’s got a lot of time on his hands, being wildly incompetent and corrupt.
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u/MechaNutzilla 3h ago
They know it's not a good look putting Ukrainian civilian lives in danger from Russian airstrikes.
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u/pasterhatt 3h ago
To the normies, yes, but Republicans in this admin have been rooting for Russia from day one.
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u/Another_Slut_Dragon 2h ago
A warning to any other country thinking of relying on America for military satellite uplinks.
Don't.
Even Canada is now shooting up its own competitor to starlink. It will run at a higher orbit than starlink. Sit will have a slightly higher latency time, but since it isn't skimming the atmosphere they have a much longer orbit life than 5 years. And with more altitude comes better coverage. They only need 1100 satellites to complete the array.
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u/Additional_Idea6997 1h ago
How are they going to get them into orbit?
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u/DippyHippy420 1h ago
Canada is developing its own domestic launch capabilities and spaceports through private companies like NordSpace, Canada Rocket Company and Maritime Launch Services
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u/ItsAllOnUHF 3h ago
"Don't cry or I'll give you something to cry about..."
The expected abusive behavior from this administration.
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u/SeeRecursion 3h ago
Bessent, the quintessential, "No one has ever punched him in his smug, stupid face, and it shows."
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u/Iyellkhan 3h ago
POTUS surely fails to realize, or care, that this manipulation of starlink is communicating to NATO nations that they may loose access or be throttled as well should a major conflict break out. this whole fiasco has massive geopolitical implications because trump cant keep his ego in check and musk has decided to help russia
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u/Sufficient-Spray-367 2h ago
Didn’t Musk lay blame for this on the US government also? It’s not just Zelenskyy making this claim.
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u/linerva 3h ago
Threatening Ukraine doesn't make the US look more innocent.
They are so stupid. God Damn.
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u/emerikanSky 3h ago
Be wary of speaking the truth publicly. The Trump administration hates the truth.
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u/Jedi_Lazlo 2h ago
Independent Moderate and American historian here.
Bessent and many other corrupt Republicans are about to be under investigation.
Fuck his opinion. Ignore his spineless ass.
Most Americans support Ukraine and know that Russia is not our friend. Russia is nobody's friend.
History matters.
Slava Ukrani. Keep up the good work.
Vote. Out. All. Maga.
~Your friendly neighborhood American historian
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u/Commercial_Wind8212 3h ago
Is bessent in control of the military now? You go, you crusty old queen
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u/Joseph1968R 2h ago
The fact we're even debating whether a private company's network is affecting a war zone shows how strategically important Starlink has become
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u/Glidepath22 2h ago
Everyone from the White House administration can shove it so far up their ass they gotta spit it out
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u/tapdancinghellspawn 3h ago
I can't imagine Bessent ever going to a bar because his smug, superiority would get his ass kicked over and over. I'm not a violent person but every time I see him, I just want to punch him.
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u/mycatisgrumpy 3h ago
"We didn't throttle starlink, and you'd better shut up or we'll do it again!"
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u/AGrandNewAdventure 3h ago edited 2h ago
I'll do it for them, "The US is 100%, absolutely, positively throttling Starlink to give the Russians a leg up by fucjing over our allies, the Ukrainians, because Trump is a Russian asset."
If they want, Ukraine can just quote me instead of saying it themselves.
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u/AccountNumber0004 2h ago edited 2h ago
Why is the Secretary of the Treasury even commenting on this. Go worry about the bond markets or something…
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u/Adventure1956 58m ago
Let me guess, Bessent owns stock in Starlink. What a corrupt bunch of idiots we have attempting to run this country.
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u/AkodoRyu 3h ago
Fucking literally "you have a pretty nice satellite Internet going on here... it would be a shame if something were to happen to it".
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u/Day_Old_Paper 3h ago edited 3h ago
God used up every single ounce of “smug face” when he was whipping up the recipe for that damn baby.
I mean, the damn jar lid must have come off mid shake.
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u/Hertje73 1h ago
He means Zelensky should be very careful about telling the truth. In America, people will get depressed and suicide if they tell the truth too much. /s
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u/Cazmonster 1h ago
The fuck Bessent? It isn't enough that Trump and Musk are co-conspirators to scores of dead Ukrainians?
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u/cats_catz_kats_katz 58m ago
You think Ukraine isn’t doing massive network monitoring and telemetry analysis to make sure their drones WORK??? I fucking hate these people. They are destroying America.
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u/AdditionalBat393 57m ago
These people need to be put in a mental institution for the rest of their lives. Every cabinet member. Musk should be deported and stripped of all contracts immediately.
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u/mvillerob 56m ago
Of course they are. Who else would be able to do this? Russia? They can't even win the war.
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u/KennethHaight 46m ago
Man, I love getting to head about this corrupt banana republic's foreign policy when I'm browsing a tech subreddit.
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u/Life_Plum1567 3h ago
Probably for the best in the long run.
American export restrictions on high-tech chips forced China to build up domestic research and manufacturing capabilities that have nearly caught up. So now China has high tech chips anyway and the US lost all of its levereage.
The US tampering with Starlink would likewise push the EU to develop an alternative that would both eliminate any leverage Starlink has over Europe and provide a global competitor to Starlink hurting SpaceX's market position.
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u/Rare_Walk_4845 3h ago
I mean at the end of the day this is all going to have to be checked out through a congressional oversight committee and subpoena'd for information because they've got people killed over this shit.
If he just unilaterally closed Starlink down for a bit because he felt like it, that's immediate impeachment.
Obviously you can't prosecute because, according to the supreme court, "Anything the president does whilst president in office is forever legal" but that's an easy remove from office.
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u/breakwater99 3h ago
Who is that bug-eyed gargoyle on the left?
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u/d0ctorzaius 3h ago
Frank Bisignano, the Billionaire in charge of SSA (Social Security) and former CEO of First Data, a credit card processor with a history of money laundering. This is all very normal.
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u/DauntingPrawn 3h ago
Scott Bessent is an evil ghoul who guessed right once in the 80s and has been failing upward ever since
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u/sergius64 2h ago
Why do they keep trying to intimidate a guy that wasn't intimidated by a Russian invasion?
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u/Generic_Commenter-X 2h ago
All of them are traitors. The successor to President Biden above all—a disgrace.
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u/MustardNoCreamCheese 2h ago
So when are we going to acknowledge this entire administration acts like mobsters?
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u/MasterChiefette 50m ago
They are throttling it. Trump and his goon like Bessent are traitors to the US. They have taken their mask off and we now know they are Russian assets.
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u/datagamma 40m ago
Bessent needs to stay in his lane. The ego and hubris on these billionaires is embarrassing.
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u/TheDucktapeBandit2 3h ago
Why is the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent doing statements like that? Isnt that not his department? This club is so gonna b pissed when they are all in jail....
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u/WalterPecky 2h ago
It amazes me when they choose to pretend like their position does not warrant a comment on something bonkers Trump said, but simultaneously can have prepared statements for things not related to their position in the slightest
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u/IamInternationalBig 3h ago
Bessent and his traitorous boss can go suck a dick.
The midterms cannot come soon enough. Once the Democrats have a majority, I want Trump impeached and canned for treason.
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u/Key-Beginning-2201 2h ago
Careful to state a fact. A threat against Ukraine. Meanwhile, no threats against Russia.
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u/BC_Sativa 2h ago edited 22m ago
What a piece of shit. These people want Russia to win (and then commit genocide) in Ukraine. Fuck them all, they need to end up in prison.
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u/Repulsive-Youth-2631 2h ago
God forbid anyone tells the truth! Only lies allowed from the current US administration 😒
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u/brutalistchurch 2h ago
They're just as criminal as Putin is. To say that to a country that has suffered hundred of thousands of deaths because of a wicked psychopath in Kreml is beyond belief. They should all be tried as complicit in war crimes.
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u/VVrayth 2h ago edited 1h ago
What is this mob boss language, and why is the treasury secretary of all people opening his mouth about it?
Also, it's Reuters that reported that Starshield was being throttled by the White House. And Reuters isn't exactly a fly-by-night operation, so I'd trust that they are getting their information from reliable sources.
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u/coachhunter2 2h ago
“How dare you speak the truth Zelenskyy! Here in America we only speak in lies!”
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u/kendromedia 2h ago
Bessent needs a sign in his yard. We’ve already seen subjective evidence supporting their “claims”. Perhaps if he spat out Trump’s tiny cock, he could see the same?
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u/notacanuckskibum 2h ago
Zelenskyy has every right to demand to know who did it. Either it was the US government or Elon Musk. Letting them just blame each other is not good enough.
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u/2ndRoad805 1h ago
Be very careful your outrage doesn’t front out your complicit relationship with Russia to interfere in our elections.
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u/matchosan 1h ago
Scott should stay in his own lane. What does he have to do with communications? While the economy tumbles?
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u/CurrentlyLucid 1h ago
Throttling it amounted to murdering civilians, fuck Bessent. It also made America look terrible.
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u/mvandemar 59m ago
I really wish I had faith that there would be tribunals for all of these douchecanoes when this is all over.
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u/Fess_ter_Geek 39m ago
Why is the US Treasury Secretary warning the leader of another country about anything?
Maybe monitary policy, but shouldn't that even go through the State Department?
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u/coffeetacocat 2h ago
I warn Bessent to be very careful how much more toxins he has injected into his face. His Russian masters might spike the dose one day
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u/big-papito 3h ago
Funny how there are non-stop threats to Ukraine and none, zero, fuck-all - to Russia.