Bessent has defended his move to upsize the buybacks in the face of criticism that it amounted to an intervention that did nothing to address underlying fiscal challenges.

The president told the UN General Assembly that threats would only harden Tehran’s resolve, but his country remained open to diplomacy.

Donald Trump is laying on extraordinary levels of pomp for Xi Jinping's first White House visit in more than a decade, including a lavish state banquet and a military flyover.