In times of heartbreak and disaster, most Americans put politics aside. We come together to help our neighbors, pray for victims, and show the true spirit of our nation. It’s a basic rule of human decency that even the most heated rivals can agree on.
But it seems not everyone got the memo about respecting grief. Some people just can’t resist turning human suffering into a chance to score cheap political points. When families are still searching for missing loved ones, these elites are busy crafting nasty political attacks.
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has shocked many Americans with his callous comments about the devastating Texas floods. While rescue teams were still searching for missing children, Summers went on ABC News to attack President Trump’s economic policies by comparing them to the deadly disaster.
Speaking with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, Summers claimed that President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” will lead to “2,000 days of death like we’ve seen in Texas this weekend.” He didn’t stop there, adding: “The Yale Budget Lab estimates that it will kill, over 10 years, 100,000 people.”
Treasury Secretary Fires Back
Current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent immediately condemned Summers’ heartless remarks in a series of posts on X.
From ‘Breitbart News’:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took aim at former Harvard President Larry Summers, who also served as treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, for politicizing the recent horrific flood in Texas…
“Today, former Treasury Secretary @LHSummers showed why he was forced to step down as president of @Harvard: a lack of humanity and judgment,” he wrote.
Bessent didn’t hold back in his criticism, calling Summers’ comments “shockingly callous” and “unfathomable.” He demanded that Summers issue a public apology for using a human tragedy as a “political cudgel.”
Going further, Bessent suggested that institutions associated with Summers should reconsider their relationships with him if he refuses to apologize.
“If he is unwilling or unable to acknowledge the cruelty of his remarks, they should consider Harvard’s example and make his unacceptable rhetoric grounds for dismissal,” Bessent stated.
Real Human Toll
While Summers was busy making political comparisons, the actual disaster in Texas has claimed at least 82 lives, including dozens of children. The flash floods hit Camp Mystic particularly hard, with 11 young girls and one counselor still missing as of Sunday.
Governor Greg Abbott reported that search and rescue efforts were ongoing for approximately 41 missing persons throughout the affected regions. Rescue crews continued working along the swollen Guadalupe River in Central Texas, trying to find survivors and recover victims.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer – while first responders risk their lives to save flood victims, former Harvard president Summers sat comfortably in a TV studio using their suffering to attack the President’s economic plan.
Pattern of Elite Disrespect
Summers’ comments reveal a disturbing trend among certain elite academics and former officials. They seem to view real American suffering as nothing more than convenient metaphors for their political arguments.
Would Summers make such comparisons if his own family members were among those missing? Would he appreciate someone using their tragedy to score political points on national television?
The families of those 28 children deserve better. The parents still waiting for news about their daughters from Camp Mystic deserve better. All Americans deserve public figures who can set aside politics when disaster strikes.
As Secretary Bessent rightfully pointed out, there’s a time and place for policy debates. During an active search for missing children isn’t one of them.
Will Summers apologize? Will the institutions that employ him hold him accountable? Or will his comments be excused because they targeted the right political opponent?
Americans watching this unfold already know the answer. And they won’t forget who showed basic human decency when it mattered most.
Key Takeaways
- Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers compared Trump’s economic bill to the Texas flood disaster while search efforts were still ongoing.
- Current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent condemned Summers’ remarks as showing “a lack of humanity and judgment.”
- At least 82 people died in the Texas floods, including 28 children, with 11 girls still missing from Camp Mystic.
- Bessent called for Summers to issue a public apology and suggested institutions reconsider their relationships with him.
Sources: Breitbart
