By Charles Switzer
3:40am PDT, Mar 13, 2025
White House Goes Silent as Fox Business Demands Answers
Fox Business anchor
Dagen McDowell openly criticized the
Donald Trump administration on Tuesday, March 11, for dodging interview requests about the struggling U.S. economy. Speaking on
The Big Money Show, McDowell vented her frustration, saying it was "shameful" that communications staff at both the White House and the Treasury Department had gone radio silent.
"Some of the people in communications at the White House, in the Treasury, will not respond to the show — trying to just book anybody to talk about this economy," she said.
McDowell admitted she hadn't planned on bashing the administration but changed course after her co-panelists pointed out that Trump's economic messaging had been lacking.
Here's what happened…
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Stock Market Decline Fuels White House Scrutiny
The Donald Trump administration's reluctance to engage with the press comes at a time when the stock market is experiencing significant losses. Since Monday, March 10, the Dow has dropped 900 points, fueling concerns of a looming recession.
While some, like Fox Business commentator
Charlie Gasparino, argue that market struggles were "baked in" under former President
Joe Biden, the lack of a clear message from Trump's White House is raising alarms.
Gasparino predicted that things would get worse before they got better: "It's going to get a little rough in the next three months — we may even hit a recession," he admitted.
McDowell Slams Administration's Media Priorities
Dagen McDowell's frustration wasn't just with the White House's silence but also with who they were choosing to talk to. She specifically called out Scott Bessent, Trump's treasury secretary, for appearing on CNBC's Squawk Box instead of addressing concerns on Fox Business.
"They won't even answer the show," she ranted. "But Scott Bessent goes on one of the lowest-rated shows on another network."
Her co-hosts attempted to interrupt, but McDowell doubled down, demanding that administration officials start responding to basic press inquiries.
Gasparino Blasts Trump's Economic Messaging
While Dagen McDowell was furious over the administration's lack of communication, Charlie Gasparino had his own complaints — namely that Donald Trump's team was failing to properly explain their economic strategy to the public.
"The Trump administration is doing a lousy job messaging all this," he said, frustrated that officials were not emphasizing the benefits of the president's
tax and tariff policies.
Gasparino also criticized Scott Bessent's speech at the Economic Club of New York, saying it was too dry and unengaging. "It was so wonky. My eyes were, like, closing," he recalled. "You gotta lead with your best shot."
Will the White House Step Up?
The Donald Trump White House's
silence on the economy is drawing increasing criticism, even from conservative voices. With fears of a recession looming and Wall Street reacting negatively to Trump's tariff policies, the White House may be forced to break its media silence sooner rather than later.
