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Kevin Hassett says credit card spending is 'through the roof'

financeMay 6, 2026332,444

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said in a Wednesday interview that "credit card spending is through the roof," blaming higher gasoline prices for part of the jump. He added that consumers are "spending more on gasoline, but they're spending more on everything else too," indicating the increase spans multiple purchase categories. That pattern means households are relying more on credit, raising household debt burdens and boosting card issuers' revenue. It matters because rising credit-card borrowing can sustain short-term spending while increasing financial vulnerability and influencing policymakers' view of the economy.

Aaron Rupar
@atrupar.com

Hassett on American consumers: "Credit card spending is through the roof. They're spending more on gasoline, but they're spending more on everything else too."

213545d ago
Saint Sherman - The Ultimate Patriot975

High inflation does this. WTF is wrong with this guy.

🕊️ ✨ MomsRobin 🧬 🐾 🏈 ⚾️ 🔵 🇺🇸 🇺🇦🇬🇱210

Grinning about Americans going into debt just to feed their families & have gas to get to work!

Ms. Snyder Penguins get vaccinated too!💉💉💉💉💉109

How can he say this with that stupid smile on his face! Of course we are spending more on everything else too, it's called the tariff effect 🙄.

Rap Bastardz®94

Is he trying to say this as a flex? This is the first sign of an impending recession if not depression.

Grumpy Grandpa79

Is he gaslighting or just dumb

@janettes-999.bsky.social62

Credit card spending is exploding, because more consumers are unable to afford the basic necessities of life like groceries and gasoline and are charging them on credit cards. This not a good sign for our economy!

Caroline P38

The smug jerk is acting like they just don't know why this is happening?😡

plasticscouser.bsky.social29

Is it just me, or is he a smug moronic prick

mysharona61.bsky.social27

Ridiculous take. I was taught to charge no more than what I had in my bank account, to use my credit card wisely to build credit and that the people who benefit my carrying a hefty balance are the bank/credit union. Pushing people to use cards for basic needs is like a drug dealer pushing meth 😡!

Mr.Eddie897624

Who wants to tell this moron that people having to take out a loan (credit card spending) to buy groceries isn‘t the flex he thinks it is?

zelenooq.bsky.social23

And smile is there Everything is fine

punwithwordz20

I’m no economist, but card spending through the roof is a GOOD thing??? WTF??

Steve Darnall18

"People don't have enough actual money to buy essentials! This is AWESOME!"

Steve USMC Veteran 🇬🇱🇨🇦🍁🇺🇸🇲🇽🇺🇦🏋️🏒17

Why does this guy always have a shit-eating grin?

Parodybar15

How does this fucksmear think credit cards work?

Poorer Richard15

Confusing consumer hunger w consumer confidence. #winning

Sunset Cove13

Why is this little fucking ass wipe always smiling and smirking, hate him!

Orchestructive12

to all the people being like "WHY DOES HE THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING?!" The answer is: to him, it IS a good thing. He and the class of people around him make way more money when credit card spending goes up. To him, this was and IS the goal. People in massive amounts of debt can be paid less, and—

Lucie🐈‍⬛Catnip 12

And why is that, Kevin?

Jerry Graybosch12

Spending more on credit cards does NOT mean you have more money in your pocket. A better metric would be credit card debt balances.

Ecoprairiepainter11

The reason Credit Card spending is up is because prices are insane! Hassett is not bright. The stupid grin isn’t helping him connect with people either. I imagine he was thrown into a few lockers in High School.🤨

bells110.bsky.social10

Yes we ARE spending more on everything and many of us are borrowing to do it. Why is he smiling? Does he think this is a good thing? Is he that clueless?

The_Lady_Red10

why is he smiling about this? fkng ghoul

Melissa10

Yay? So not only will the US government have a debt crisis, consumers will too.

Bark Marrington10

That smirk is permanently plastered on his face. He could look happy reporting the death of a kid’s puppy. Increased credit card debt is not a good thing. People are spending a lot on credit because they have less cash and everything costs more. That’s actually very bad.

TheCatMan10

Whenever seeing Bessent or this constantly grinning dunderhead, always reminded of this scene from the brilliant film, 'Being There' (It's great how people are FORCED to max out their credit cards???!!!???)

Nobody 9

The sadistic smile is the tell: hyper-optimism rings hollow.

CharM9

Prices are soaring and debt is skyrocketing! Yay!!

🌈Super Gay Mom💙9

Buying diapers, milk or heart medicine on credit at 21% interest isn't the flex the GOP is trying to make you think it is. The national average card debt among cardholders with unpaid balances in Q3 2025 was $7,886, up 2.8% from $7,673 in Q1 2024. www.lendingtree.com/credit-cards... #resist

Mina8

We had full employment under Joe Biden.

Mike8

I know I’m spending more on groceries. And it’s not because I’m eating more.

JC 💙🦋🛸8

Interest Interest Interest They'll be in debt forever. These fucking morons should be tarred, feathered & run out of the country.

There is only us. There is no ICE.8

“Let them eat credit cards?” Taking out loans to pay for food? Makes sense: Trump’s party writes US bad checks and thrives on our debt. Democracy demands equity: Citizens must have a stake. Social equity means both freedom from poverty and fear and freedom of speech and faith.

Solid Gold Robot8

There will never be anyone whose face is more punchable than Kevin Hassett. He's the summit of the mountain. The pinnacle of smarmy douchebaggery.

LesnielBC 🇨🇦🇩🇰8

Question for Hassett from the back: “Are those same consumers who are racking up their credit cards paying off the balance every month? Because if they’re not, 18.5% or more interest adds up REALLY quickly, making the bank’s CEO richer and American consumers much, much poorer”.

MissPlaced8

How has no one slapped him?

wharf rat7

because we don't have the liquidity to purchase essentials without credit isn't the economic flex he seems to think it is

Auntie K, the Bacon Fairy7

this guy exudes the creepiest vibes...

Martijon7

This fucking guy. Must prep for TV with whippets. Chuckles at our damn misery.

sbenett57.bsky.social7

Um, why are people using credit cards for everything and how will they pay for it?

Linda Marie 🕊️7

Because they can’t pay cash?

Democracy Matters7

That smirk needs to be permanently removed. Stick a gas nozzle where the sun don't shine.

Andrew Carlson6

Everything is fine look at all these people spending money they don’t have

I Love This Post6

And besides that, credit card debt means more interest charges and late fees for corporate bankers, increasing their profits He forgot to say that part

Jeffrey6

That grin on his face is beyond annoying. I’d love to slap the

golfgate.bsky.social6

Now Ask him about the relevant pieces of data 1) where are delinquency rates? 2) how many people are carrying monthly balances forward? 3) consumer sentiment is pessimistic What an absolute fucking idiot

Dee Elle6

This not the flex smegel thinks it is when wages are stagnant and people are running up debt to cover basics. CC spending can mean ppl borrow to get by. CC debt and delinquency rates been climbing for yrs now. Spending being “through the roof” while carrying high-interest debt is a distress signal.

Stephanie Rewis6

He says it like a brag with that horrible smile/smirk. I can’t stand this guy…

Wilfhound6

Does he keep that inane smile on for funerals?

Warframe Herzog5

Does he think that’s good?

aftertheboat174.bsky.social5

Hassett seems to think everybody is a wealthy heir, or acentimillionaire. Because those are the only people he knows/hangs out with. The fact that many are using credit to pay for ESSENTIALS, & thus setting themselves up for future interest rate debt, (that they can't afford), is foreign to him.

I'm Beth5

A country ruled by fools and idiots.

EC5

Amazing they believe this reflects consumer confidence and not the increase of prices across the board due to higher fuel cost, which affects all shipped items. Plus, if people are using credit to buy everyday items, that’s not really a good thing. It usually means they don’t have the funds on hand.

Steve5

This guy and his stupid smirks. The idea that people are struggling to afford basic necessities is amusing to him.

Paranoid Hemorrhoid5

Spending more money, but buying less stuff... has Penn revoked his PhD in Economics yet?

RBird5

JFC. Somebody slap the sh!t out of him.

Don_Shea5

Wait a minute! Buying essentials with credit cards is a good thing? WTF!!!

John S5

"Credit card spending is through the roof." Hassett is an ass-hat. People are running up their balances to cover the extra costs!

The Dad Pat Ryan5

This is RoboCop levels of bullshit television.

Hadi from UK 🇬🇧5

It's called inflation! My 12yr old can explain it better! lol

Mark5

I’m not American but I’m offended by this fucking skip fire with a punchable shiteating grin on his face - celebrating how much money the banks are making from normal people.

mel1done.bsky.social4

"Tell them anything"... is psychoTrump motto and the PsychoTrumpZombies does it very well apparently. Up is down East is West Cold is hot Wet is dry Sleep is Woke Dead is Alive 👀👀👀👀

Peter Fraize4

Yeah, putting everything on the card is a great indicator of how I’m doing!

marebears.bsky.social4

Which is what happens prior to a recession

You Don't Know Me 464

*has no understanding of what this means economically for the average American.

Kitten4

I feel like this is how the great depression started. People kept using credit with 0 ability to pay it back

Eliana4

Hassett = because why be regular stupid!? #FuckTrump

Jade Jurek4

He just doesn’t hear his own statement: “They are (having to) spend more…” on expensive credit card debt.

A. Bwick4

Fucking asshat only cares about the interest being raked in… Not about being on the precipice of wide-scale bankruptcies & economic collapse.

Katherine4

Seriously. “They’re spending more on everything else” is a brag

🇺🇦Schadenfreude's Cat🇺🇦4

Is... is this supposed to be a flex?

The Red Circle4

Credit card spending is up with sticky inflation and high gas prices is a good thing - Trump regime

Van Alan4

Is........is he trying to say that this is a good thing? Up is down guys. That's where we are.

PC Sherry🦋3

Americans are going under and this schmuck thinks it’s funny.

indogyearsimdead.bsky.social3

Gee, why do you suppose they’re spending more on everything else numbnuts?

Damion Rowland3

Every time I see his smirking face I want to slap it.

Clio3

Buying food with credit cards, paying for healthcare

Nada Pasa3

Why does he smile like it's a good thing that people have to max out their CCs in order to survive?

coachrambo.bsky.social3

Is “spending” a synonym for “paying?” We are paying more.

Richard J Laya3

His brain dead boss is now asking to put another billion on his government credit card (debt) to build a combo whore house / dancehall dwarfing the WH. These people are obscene. 🤮🤮

crabgirl237.bsky.social3

Alternative facts. Statistics and damn lies I believe someone once said.

gramala2.bsky.social3

Let this A-hole try living on just social security.

West Valley Tom3

Nothing bad ever happens when you buy more stuff than you can afford.

Mrs. Wilberforce3

Apparently, Trump and his enablers haven’t read up on the conditions that led to the French Revolution. The ballroom feels like the affair of the diamond necklace. It wasn’t the cause, but a catalyst of the Revolution. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affair_...

Half-ass Matt3

Maybe, just maybe, try to stick with me here, they're using credit more because they're RUNNING OUT OF CASH, YOU ABSOLUTE MORON.

There is only us. There is no ICE.3

Republicans love debt. Lots of their favorite donors make money off our personal debt. And they make money off the interest in the national debt. Republicans hate it when Democrats lower debt: national, student, homes.

Penrose Clayworks LTD3

These asshats are so out of touch and it maddening to be alive and awake in this country. We need a class action lawsuit against the entire administration and its supporters for the harm done. It’s calculable and easily provable.

Logic L1 👊🇺🇸🐸3

Dude ain't right in the head.

Gail3

They just keep proving that they are completely out of touch with reality

k_the_okayest3

"Spending" doesn't actually mean spending. In the case of policy and inflation the term "spending" is in reference to money used after all inflation related costs have been covered. When you use credit cards and loans, you are not spending, you are borrowing, which is the opposite of spending.

m4a1960.bsky.social3

Hes laughing it tells who the fools are , us !

Itgetzbybuckner3

Nice Flex, Dennis!!!! That'll show 'em!!!

KellyD 🫘2

Like…oh, what was that word…oh, yes, groceries. That’s the word. Groceries, we’re paying more for groceries.

Nico 🐸2

What a twat. I nearly feel sorry for Trump, if this is the quality of the advisors he has around him. But then again Trump hired this lot. So no sorry feelings.

Midnight Train To Georgia On My Mind2

People using credit and depleting their savings is not sustainable. tradingeconomics.com/united-state...

Granuailynn2

Aww Nazi is happy people are going broke & racking up debt on credit cards bsky.app/profile/gran...

Tyrant Biggles2

You can almost see the imaginary cartoon bluebirds that Hassett sees flying around his head.

Kally in Tex2

Well, the prices of everything have gone up as gas prices have risen. Oh, and after those tariff things.

Mr. International2

Why did they not ask Hasset if Trump capped credit card interest rates at 10%?

rhodewarrior.bsky.social2

Yeah. We know. So much winning.

Blue Kentucky Gal2

He says this like it's a good thing. Wait til people can't make their credit card payments.

jnova6.bsky.social2

Because they don’t have enough cash on hand for essentials. Stop putting this unserious liar on the air.

Magnus of Chaos2

Do these assholes NOT listen to the words coming out of their mouths? The Revolution will be most satisfying. Tick... tock...

M2

That’s is not good. It means that more Americans are in debt and paying banks compounding interest to hold that debt over time. What’s this guy smoking!?

Matt Gorecki2

Economists are less serious than chiropractors.

HBJOHN522

I would like to punch him in the nose. Such an arrogant pencil neck geek.

The Tim Channel2

We are now moving into the “Let them eat credit card reward points” phase of this debacle. Gas rationing to begin shortly. Buckle up. I’m ready.

Emperor’s New Clothes2

Dow is over 50K, can't investigate pedophilia anymore per the Bondi rule. That's a bummer.

errepi.bsky.social2

More on healthcare as well I bet

chrissy64.bsky.social2

Last night I stopped and filled up paying 3.86 a gallon for unleaded. This morning, same station 4.40 a gallon.

John Shovel2

The smuggiest face to ever grace the airwaves.

jmcb11.bsky.social2

he knows that’s not a good thing, right?

Winston / Enzo 🔜 AC2

Going out on a limb here and guessing those increased balances aren't being paid off at the end of the billing cycle, but who cares about that, right?

SteveG2

Does he realize this means people have no money? And that increasing credit card spending is a predictor of increasing defaults ahead?

Merry Miller 8647 congress 202-224-31212

I spent 20 years to pay off one credit card. I would get close to getting it paid, then a financial crisis would hit and we would use it again, gradually adding to the running balance until we maxed it out. I put a self enforced limit on it because we couldn't make the minimum payment at times.

TooManyDaves2

Maria Bartiromo is a disgrace and a traitor.

Gosia 👊 🇺🇸 🔥2

Yeah, we're using our credit cards because we're short on cash. Not a good sign.

Woke20242

That’s because prices are so high.

Mašan Minić2

Maybe because everyrhing is more expensiv and people does not have on debit cards.

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