“One of the messages that I’d like to get out tonight is: everybody, sit back, take a deep breath. Don’t immediately retaliate. Let’s see where this goes. Because if you retaliate, that’s how we get escalation.” So said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday amid the global upheaval caused by Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff rollout. Bessent’s call for serenity is landing on deaf ears, but for panicked allies in North America, his advice may be worth heeding.
