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TexasTowelie

(128,016 posts)
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 12:18 AM Jan 2026

Treasury Secretary Says Average Retiree Owns '5 to 12 Homes'; Americans Furious - The Logical Leftist



At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed that the "average" American retiree owns between 5 and 12 homes.

Jeff breaks down this baffling display of economic illiteracy, explains where this "gibberish" statistic likely came from, and exposes just how disconnected the new administration is from the working class they claim to represent.
34 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Treasury Secretary Says Average Retiree Owns '5 to 12 Homes'; Americans Furious - The Logical Leftist (Original Post) TexasTowelie Jan 2026 OP
he might be right with that meaningless statistic rampartd Jan 2026 #1
STFU vapor2 Jan 2026 #2
I own only 1 home as a retiree at140 Jan 2026 #3
Uh huh, tell us how Democrats are the " elitists" and republicans understand the " the working class" again? tulipsandroses Jan 2026 #4
This is me.. 😳 This administration is nucking futs..all of them Deuxcents Jan 2026 #5
This message was self-deleted by its author jfz9580m Jan 2026 #11
Trump's delusions must be contagious. Ilsa Jan 2026 #6
Oh boy. sheshe2 Jan 2026 #7
And, he is on what planet? BarbD Jan 2026 #8
Bush's Treasury Secretary said the same kind of crap. They only care about the rich. ChicagoTeamster Jan 2026 #9
Actually Commerce Secretary Lutnick said that Seinan Sensei Jan 2026 #20
Oh that's right. Thanks for the clarification ChicagoTeamster Jan 2026 #22
that's why girls get 30 dolls for xmas. pansypoo53219 Jan 2026 #10
Be nice, now... BurnDoubt Jan 2026 #12
He must be thinking of his mother-in-law that didn't need her Social Security check. Buddyzbuddy Jan 2026 #13
krasnov needs to go attend a NASCAR race not fooled Jan 2026 #14
They're thieves cosplaying as politicians and this is part of the performance. live love laugh Jan 2026 #15
Talk about your room illiteracy... Montauk6 Jan 2026 #16
Is he counting the retirees that are now homeless and living in their cars if they have one? Or the ones appleannie1 Jan 2026 #17
He's right. Old Crank Jan 2026 #18
A fucking genius RainCaster Jan 2026 #19
He can only acknowledge the rich Simeon Salus Jan 2026 #21
nuts maliaSmith Jan 2026 #23
WTF!? These idiots are entirely clueless. And they are in charge of our economy... Martin68 Jan 2026 #24
The average retiree has maybe around $200,000 in savings wolfie001 Jan 2026 #25
Well, I'm a Few Short Deep State Witch Jan 2026 #26
I've owned 6 in my lifetime CanonRay Jan 2026 #27
Well sure. America has nearly 4 billion houses. unblock Jan 2026 #28
Someone must have sold my other 4-11 homes mwmisses4289 Jan 2026 #29
He sometimes confuses reality with the board game Monopoly. Retirees don't own railroads either. twodogsbarking Jan 2026 #30
I can barely afford 1 home. Americanme Jan 2026 #31
I have only owned one and at 79, am about to purchase 11 more so I can be average. I'm putting my new homes Wonder Why Jan 2026 #32
And this guy is an economics guy? Jesus! I wouldn't touch any advice put forth by any of tRUMP's henchmen. For SWBTATTReg Jan 2026 #33
This pegs a 10 on my BS meter airplaneman Jan 2026 #34

rampartd

(4,871 posts)
1. he might be right with that meaningless statistic
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 12:28 AM
Jan 2026

if i own 1 home and bessent owns 23 we average out at a dozen each.

"we need to declare an emergency to avoid the emergency" bessent

"we have asymmetrical data" bessent, the guy on meet the press to tell us what they know that we dont.

at140

(6,268 posts)
3. I own only 1 home as a retiree
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 12:34 AM
Jan 2026

but I could own 7 homes if rental property was my interest. I do not want any headaches in my old age with running a rental business. So I will die a one home owner.

tulipsandroses

(8,297 posts)
4. Uh huh, tell us how Democrats are the " elitists" and republicans understand the " the working class" again?
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 12:37 AM
Jan 2026

This sure does not sound like the party that understands " the common man".

Response to Deuxcents (Reply #5)

Ilsa

(64,503 posts)
6. Trump's delusions must be contagious.
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 01:37 AM
Jan 2026

These people have a problem with living in the real world.

ChicagoTeamster

(1,175 posts)
9. Bush's Treasury Secretary said the same kind of crap. They only care about the rich.
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 01:43 AM
Jan 2026

Remember when Bessent said his retired mother wouldn’t miss her social security check?

Seinan Sensei

(1,618 posts)
20. Actually Commerce Secretary Lutnick said that
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 03:22 AM
Jan 2026

Nutlick said only “fraudsters” would complain if they missed a SS check
He said his dear 94-yr-old Mother-in-Law (whose beloved Son-in-Law is a billionaire) would not complain

BurnDoubt

(1,844 posts)
12. Be nice, now...
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 02:01 AM
Jan 2026

They don't know ANYBODY who doesn't own five or six rental properties. And, he didn't mention all the ones who own HOTELS!!!!
All the people he plays golf with do.
AND... they all have "Get Out of Jail Free" cards.

Buddyzbuddy

(2,810 posts)
13. He must be thinking of his mother-in-law that didn't need her Social Security check.
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 02:15 AM
Jan 2026

And now we know why. This is another reason why there should be no billionaires and they certainly should not have the safety and security of Americans under their rule nor should they be making policy decisions for them.

live love laugh

(16,453 posts)
15. They're thieves cosplaying as politicians and this is part of the performance.
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 02:26 AM
Jan 2026

I’m waiting for people to wake up and stop listening to this bullshit.

appleannie1

(5,476 posts)
17. Is he counting the retirees that are now homeless and living in their cars if they have one? Or the ones
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 02:27 AM
Jan 2026

living with their kids because SS does not cover their rent?

Old Crank

(7,183 posts)
18. He's right.
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 02:53 AM
Jan 2026

The average American he hangs with owns that manny homes.

Personally my second house is a gingerbread one on the table left over from Xmas.

Simeon Salus

(1,657 posts)
21. He can only acknowledge the rich
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 07:03 AM
Jan 2026

The rest are invisible to him, mere insects from their vantage point.

wolfie001

(7,894 posts)
25. The average retiree has maybe around $200,000 in savings
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 01:14 PM
Jan 2026

That number may be a bit slanted upward in my opinion. How the fuck can the average retiree "own" that many homes on that meager a savings? Clownish jackass spewing horseshit for his cult leader. What a pedantic asshole.

CanonRay

(16,233 posts)
27. I've owned 6 in my lifetime
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 01:27 PM
Jan 2026

but never at once. I had two at once because a sale fell through, and the double mortgage was a bitch.

mwmisses4289

(4,580 posts)
29. Someone must have sold my other 4-11 homes
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 02:24 PM
Jan 2026

while my back was turned. Drat, I knew I shouldn't have trusted that home management company!

Edited to add this:

twodogsbarking

(19,207 posts)
30. He sometimes confuses reality with the board game Monopoly. Retirees don't own railroads either.
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 03:07 PM
Jan 2026

Americanme

(530 posts)
31. I can barely afford 1 home.
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 03:09 PM
Jan 2026

Ain't it weird how a populist man of the people put so many billionaires in positions of power? Good thing he drained that swamp.

Wonder Why

(7,210 posts)
32. I have only owned one and at 79, am about to purchase 11 more so I can be average. I'm putting my new homes
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 04:07 PM
Jan 2026

on Boardwalk and Park Place so I can collect big time rent every time someone lands there.

SWBTATTReg

(26,363 posts)
33. And this guy is an economics guy? Jesus! I wouldn't touch any advice put forth by any of tRUMP's henchmen. For
Wed Jan 21, 2026, 04:59 PM
Jan 2026

several reasons:

-they are too stupid;
-they are too stupid to realize that they're too stupid;
-what a showing to the world of how competent tRUMP's admin. truly is (NOT!)...

I'm turning off my hearing aids so I don't have to hear just how stupid these people are.

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