Harridan, and all-around miserable human being known as, Maxine Waters, tried her patented Insane-Old-Lady-Shouts-At-Clouds schtick on the unflappable Scott Bessent. It went as well as expected.

California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters on Wednesday got into a heated exchange with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during his testimony on inflation and the American economy, even telling him at one point to “shut up.”

Scott doesn’t get mad, he just shoots straight from the hip and scores …

Maxine Waters goes on unhinged rant, repeatedly talking over Scott Bessent — then gets finished by one of Bessent’s trademark rhetorical daggers.

Waters: “Can you shut him up?"

Bessent: “Can you maintain some level of dignity?"

Oof. pic.twitter.com/z3IXTBpfWX

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) February 4, 2026

And while many media outlets had headlines that declare it a flare of tempers between the two, watching the videos demonstrates that Bessent never lost his as he broke the broom Maxine rode in on over his knee. She was reduced to babbling to the chair that Bessent had somehow “taken up” her time.

Maxine has long thought herself as one of the the Sainted Untouchables in Congress. She represents the current 43rd district – a collection of low-income communities including Watts, Inglewood, and Compton. You won’t catch her living there. Maxine moved into a multi-million dollar mansion in the tony and historic Hancock Park area of Los Angeles in 2004. Mean Queen Bee holds court from there, venturing into her serfs’ territory now and then to rouse the rabble.

And while her outrageous behavior is never tempered by her Democrat peers, people like Scott Bessent show it’s possible to confuse her sense of entitlement by not allowing her to frame the narrative.

“You seem confused as to the definition of inflation,” Bessent began before Waters interrupted him to re-ask the question.

The two then began talking over each other, with Bessent noting that the Biden administration “let in between 10 and 20 million immigrants” who “took up the housing stock of working Americans.”

Bessent denied having authored a letter calling tariffs inflationary and pointed to federal data disputing that import duties raise prices.

“According to the San Francisco Federal Reserve, with 150 years of data, tariffs do not cause inflation,” he told Waters.

The Democrats are scrambling to give cover to any election cheating they will do this November by pretending that the American economy is tanking. Inflation at the end of 2022 was 8%, for 2026 we are at .66% (2025 ended at 2.65%). Public thrashing of people like Scott Bessent continues to take place regardless of economic reality because, well, emoting and fantasy-role playing is what passes for sober discourse on the portside. Maxines’ turn as Deino of the Graiai didn’t serve her well this week.

But conservatives — the squish “but they won’t like me” ones who feel being nice is a substitute for a spine — need to sit down and pay attention. Bessent isn’t the only one who can fob off the Left narrative by both exhibiting commanding civility as well as rejecting the framing.

🚨 JD Vance flat out REFUSED to back down to the woke mob

INTERVIEWER: “Do you plan to apologize to the family of Alex Pretti?”

VANCE: “For what?”

“He’s a guy who showed up with ill intent to an ICE protest!”

THAT’S how you handle these people. Don’t give them an INCH! pic.twitter.com/mMhuDvfed8

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 4, 2026

This is a PERFECT example of why Marco Rubio is the best Secretary of State in US history.. pic.twitter.com/4GjuCPylGn

— Red Shorts Politics (@RedShortsPoltcs) February 3, 2026

Take notes, people. This is the way you handle hysterical, bad faith Leftists. And remember, it’s not about trying to reason with Maoling Democrats who never reasoned their way into their unAmerican policies to begin with. It is the viewing audience you’re speaking with.

UPDATE: Welcome Instapundit readers!

featured image original graphic by Darleen Click