Treasury Secretary Bessent talks to CNBC as Trump administration faces affordability concerns

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during a press conference at the Cash Room of the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 24, 2026.Mehmet Eser | Anadolu | Getty ImagesTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to sit down for an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday morning as the Trump administration faces concerns about rising fuel prices, interest rates and risks from artificial intelligence.Bessent is scheduled to begin his interview at 8 a.m.His appearance comes on the heels of his meeting over the weekend with his Chinese counterpart, He Lifeng, ahead of the summit in Washington later this week between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump. Bessent last week told Axios he was open to discussing shared AI risks with China during that meeting. Bessent said on Sunday he had a successful meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng ahead of Xi's visit and that they discussed issues including AI and trade.The Treasury chief last week touted a Sept. 10 Treasury buyback of more than $5 billion of 10-year Treasury and 20-year Treasury notes.Since the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran began in late February, the benchmark 10-year Treasury's ...