Bessent says fannie, freddie privatization under consideration, but not at top of to-do list
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When asked Friday about President Donald Trump’s talk about privatizing housing-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sounded like a guy with a lot on
his to-do list — and that matter is not at the top. Shares in Fannie and Freddie were sharply lower Friday after surging Thursday. “We're doing peace deals, tax deals, trade deals, so
as we land some of those deals, then we will focus on that,” Bessent told Bloomberg TV. He also said there are several ways to carry out privatization without driving up mortgage rates. “We
are doing a great deal of studying at Treasury, because the one requirement for this privatization is that they are privatized in such a way that mortgage spreads — they do not widen,”
Bessent said.