Administration

Mnuchin asked UCLA not to post video of speech where he was heckled

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asked the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) not to post a recording of a speaking engagement where students heckled him, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Mnuchin visited UCLA on Monday to take part in a conversation about the economy at the school’s Burkle Center for International Relations. During the event, students booed and coughed, frequently interrupting him.

After the event, Mnuchin retracted his permission for the school to post video and audio of the event to the internet, a UCLA spokeswoman told The Wall Street Journal.

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Marketplace.org posted a partial recording of the event, along with a transcript. 

Mnuchin reportedly addressed the hecklers multiple times during the speech, saying he typically speaks to “people who wanna listen to me speak.”

Mnuchin also at times appeared to clash with Marketplace radio host Kai Ryssdal, who served as moderator.

Mnuchin, who worked in the film industry before joining the Trump administration, fielded questions about the Republican tax-cut law passed late last year, economic sanctions on North Korea and other economic policies.