Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent now faces what could be his biggest challenge yet — fixing the affordability crisis as he shapes President Trump’s policies on tariffs, taxes, and Uncle Sam’s $38 trillion debt pile.

The months ahead of the US midterm elections will be pivotal, as the former hedge-fund manager looks to power the US economy to two consecutive quarters of growth while tackling the spiraling cost of living for everything from groceries to cars.

The 63-year-old Bessent has stated that stiff levies on imports are aimed at bringing back domestic manufacturing, rather than a tax on consumers. He and the president have also touted leverage to open up foreign markets to US goods.

Yet a recent Bank of America report, written by its senior US economist Aditya Bhave, insisted the

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