On the morning of the announcement on 9 April, Trump met in the Oval Office with Bessent as well as National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett and Lutnick, the 63-year-old former chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald and a noted China hawk.
Two other key players in tariffs policy were notably absent, prompting one source close to the White House to tell Reuters news agency there had been a "pecking order change".
One, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, was just a short drive away on Capitol Hill, testifying about tariffs before a House of Representative committee.
He would later that day learn of the tariffs announcement in real-time along with the lawmakers, prompting a tense exchange in which he was accused of having the "rug pulled out" from underneath him.
The other, Peter Navarro, was similarly absent despite being one of the most visible figures in the media on tariffs, prompting speculation his stance had fallen out of favour with the president.
At times, the various figures involved in tariffs gave contradictory statements on the policy, which experts say contributed to confusion and market volatility.
"They are not singing on the same page," said Mark Sobel, who spent nearly 40 years at the Treasury Department, including as deputy assistant secretary for international monetary and financial policy.
"You hear Navarro, you hear Bessent, you hear the president and you feel you're getting whiplash," he added. "This is not a disciplined group."