Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has assailed the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank even as he tries to reassure nervous investors the United States will maintain its global leadership role.

Bessent spoke to the Institute of International Finance as both the International Monetary Fund and World Bank held their spring meetings in Washington. On Monday, the IMF downgraded its forecast of U.S. economic growth to 1.8% this year, a reduction from the 2.7% it estimated as recently as January.

Bessent said the Trump administration would not seek to retreat from those institutions but instead push to play a stronger leadership role and push for major changes to those ins