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Wigglesworth says Bessent’s Treasury buybacks sound like “desperation”

By Egleze Editorial Desk · Published August 31, 2026 · The Ezra Klein Show · What the Heck Is Going On in the Bond Market? | The Ezra Klein Show
Wigglesworth says Bessent’s Treasury buybacks sound like “desperation”
The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein Show
What the Heck Is Going On in the Bond Market? | The Ezra Klein Show

What was said

"I truthfully I hear a little bit of desperation. I I don't think bond yields are going to go massively higher."

Robin Wigglesworth, editor of the Financial Times’ Alphaville blog, says US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s move to expand Treasury buybacks looks less like routine market maintenance and more like an anxious attempt to force yields lower. He argues the programme is too small relative to daily Treasury trading volumes to materially change borrowing costs, and that signalling can backfire if it undermines confidence in policymakers’ competence.

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Attributed speaker claim

Egleze verified who said this and where. The underlying claim has not been independently established by Egleze.

Source and context

Egleze verified who said this and where. The underlying claim has not been independently established by Egleze.

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The Ezra Klein Show
Episode
What the Heck Is Going On in the Bond Market? | The Ezra Klein Show
Clip time
34:51
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The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein Show

What the Heck Is Going On in the Bond Market? | The Ezra Klein Show

August 28, 2026 · 58m · 3 Egleze moments
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