Moment Scott Bessent put on spot about cryptic 'resilience' note during Trump meeting

By ELINA SHIRAZI, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 21:54, 28 May 2026 | Updated: 21:58, 28 May 2026 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent found himself squarely in the hot seat on Thursday afternoon after being grilled by the Daily Mail over a bizarrely repetitive notepad scrawl captured during a high-stakes White House Cabinet meeting. During Wednesday's Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Bessent appeared laser–focused on one predominant message, which was 'resilience, resilience, resilience.' At least, that is what his notepad betrayed to the world after a photographer managed to snap a razor-sharp, close-up shot of the Treasury Secretary's writing pad, exposing a series of cryptic phrases laid bare right in front of him. The Daily Mail demanded to know why he wrote all those notes, specifically asking if he was trying to keep the President calm with his repeated mantra, or if he was simply trying to keep himself stable during these tense talks. Rather than offering a bureaucratic explanation, Bessent hit back with a cheeky, defiant grin, delivering a remarkably cryptic defense. He shot back that he wrote them so people could look over his shoulder, photograph them, and think they 'got a scoop.' The spy shot during the Cabinet meeting revealed a fascinating peek into the Secretary's mindset, starting with the word 'Resilience' written at the very top and emphasized with a heavy underline.  Further down, he had jotted down 'Operation Economic Fury,' which is a direct reference to the Trump administration's aggressive economic pressure and sanctions campaign against the government of Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent found himself squarely in the hot seat on Thursday afternoon after being grilled by the Daily Mail over a bizarrely repetitive notepad scrawl captured during a high–stakes White House Cabinet meeting During Wednesday's Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Bessent appeared laser–focused on one predominant message, which was 'resilience, resilience, resilience' Further down, he had jotted down 'Operation Economic Fury,' which is a direct reference to the Trump administration's aggressive economic pressure and sanctions campaign against the government of Iran In parentheses, accompanied by a prominent checkmark, Bessent had also written the phrase 'Just in time, just in case,' followed directly underneath by another mention of 'resilience,' the word 'prosperity,' and a final, mysterious word starting with the letter 's' that could not be deciphered by the camera lens. Bessent was asked about the deal several times but did not deliver confirmation of a finalized deal, or his thoughts on the current one – simply saying they do not have 'unlimited patience' with Iran and said military strikes could pick back up if diplomacy fails.  'We did not have a regime change in Iran, but we changed the regime,' Bessent said during a White House briefing, arguing that the Iranian government, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and the religious leadership were struggling to communicate after US strikes.  Citing two US officials and a regional source involved in the discussions, Axios said the two countries agreed to a 60–day memorandum of understanding.  There was no immediate confirmation of the report, which prompted oil prices to reverse course and trade lower.  Trump has repeatedly said the end of the war is close, but told the media at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday he was not yet satisfied by the negotiations and that the US was not discussing easing sanctions, one of Tehran's demands. Under the terms of the agreement, navigation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain 'unrestricted', meaning that no tolls or any form of harassment will be permitted, according to the new report.  Bessent was asked about the deal several times but did not deliver confirmation of a finalized deal, or his thoughts on the current one – simply saying they do not have 'unlimited patience' with Iran and said military strikes could pick back up if diplomacy fails Rather than offering a bureaucratic explanation, Bessent hit back with a cheeky, defiant grin, delivering a remarkably cryptic defense Bessent took questions on several topics, including Iran negotiations, Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund and a proposed '250 dollar' commemorative bill The memorandum of understanding is pending approval from Donald Trump, according to Axios  Iran will have to remove all mines present in the strait within thirty days, while the American naval blockade will be lifted gradually, the two officials said.  The memorandum also includes Iran's commitment to not to seek to acquire nuclear weapons.  Discussions over the next sixty days will mainly focus on Iran's enriched uranium and its overall enrichment capabilities. The US has also agreed to open discussions on easing its sanctions and unfreezing Iranian financial assets held abroad. The report comes after Iran targeted a US air base in Kuwait in the wake of American strikes on what Washington said was an Iranian drone operation. Tehran and Washington have in recent days been swapping proposals to end the war, which broke out on February 28 and engulfed the Middle East, while a fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8.  Iran has since kept a tight control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy conduit, while the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and coasts since April 13.  Tehran's decision to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz for ships carrying regional oil, natural gas and other critical supplies has been a focal point of global concern and economic pain.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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