On March 2, 2025, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a blunt message to the nation on CBS’s Face the Nation: there’s no economic deal with Ukraine in the works—not now, not yet. After a tense February 28 Oval Office showdown where President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the “free ride’s over,” Bessent’s confirmation seals it—America’s cash isn’t crossing borders anytime soon. For taxpayers, it’s a resounding “no dice” to foreign aid while states like North Carolina stagger under Hurricane Helene’s $53 billion wreckage from September 2024. Every penny stays here until our own are back on their feet—and that’s a stance worth cheering.

The Treasury’s Hard Line

Bessent didn’t mince words. Speaking to host Margaret Brennan, he pinned the collapse on Zelenskyy, who “threw off the sequencing” of a proposed minerals-for-aid pact. The deal—pitched in Kyiv mid-February—was meant to swap Ukraine’s rare earths (lithium, neodymium) for U.S. financial and military support, a “win-win” Trump hyped to align with Kyiv against Russia. Zelenskyy’s push for more—security guarantees, fresh billions—derailed it. Trump and Vance fired back, accusing him of ingratitude for the $183 billion already sent since 2022. Bessent’s March 2 announcement shut the door: no dice, no deal, no dollars.

This isn’t a diplomatic hiccup—it’s a deliberate shift. Posts on X buzz with approval, with sentiment framing it as a “wake-up call” to keep cash home. Trump’s “America First” reboot, paired with Bessent’s fiscal hawkery, says it loud: every penny stays here until states like North Carolina—still a mess six months post-Helene—are restored. With a $36 trillion national debt and $6.8 trillion spent in 2024, taxpayers see a lifeline—our money, our mess, our priority.

North Carolina’s Unfinished Fight

Helene’s scars run deep. The Category 4 storm slammed western North Carolina with 20 inches of rain, killing 101, displacing 15,000, and racking up $53 billion in damages, per the state’s budget office. As of March 3, 2025, FEMA’s $1.2 billion—2% of the need—leaves I-40 half-crippled, rural water systems shaky, and 30% of small businesses in hit counties shuttered, per the Asheville Chamber. Over 10,000 families still bunk in trailers or with kin; schools limp; farms falter. X sentiment howls: “NC’s rotting while billions go abroad—fix us first!”

North Carolina’s $72 billion in 2023 federal taxes fuels the frustration—where’s the return? Contrast that with $183 billion to Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel in 2024, $200 million to Haiti in January. Treasury’s “no dice” to Ukraine flips the script—every penny stays stateside until homes stand, roads reopen, and jobs return. It’s not charity we want; it’s what’s owed to a state propping up $92 billion in agriculture and $14 billion in manufacturing. Helene’s mess isn’t fading—it’s festering, and taxpayers demand it’s fixed first.

Why Every Penny Stays Here

The logic’s unyielding: America’s cash rebuilds America. Trump’s tariff slap on Canada and Mexico (25% from March 4) and Supreme Court win freezing $1.9 billion in aid on February 26 prove it—legal levers keep money home. Musk’s DOGE slashes $1.5 billion in federal waste by March 3—$1 billion from DEI alone—showing the playbook: gut excess, fund us. Bessent’s “no deal” fits like a glove—why send dimes abroad when $275 billion leaks yearly in “improper payments,” per the GAO? North Carolina’s $53 billion need trumps Ukraine’s $500 billion war chest (Trump’s estimate) every time.

X sentiment echoes this: “Every penny for our states, not theirs!” It’s not isolationism—it’s survival. The U.S. isn’t a global piggy bank—Europe’s $145 billion to Ukraine since 2022 proves they can lead. Bessent told Brennan, “The EU should handle security”—a green light to redirect our $72 billion tax haul from Kyiv to Boone. When $1.2 billion covers 2% of Helene’s tab, every penny staying here isn’t a suggestion—it’s a necessity.

The Weak Counterpunch

Critics clutch pearls: cutting Ukraine risks Russian gains—oil spikes, NATO wobbles. Zelenskyy’s March 1 X post—“ready to sign”—pleads for a lifeline; CSIS warns $4 billion in undelivered gear hangs in limbo. Europe frets—Germany’s Scholz called Trump’s February 28 stance “selfish.” Fair—but Europe’s cash stockpile says they can step up. North Carolina’s mess isn’t “what if”—it’s now, with 15,000 displaced begging for roofs, not rhetoric. Global stability’s nice when your state’s not a wasteland.

The “we owe allies” line crumbles. Taxpayers aren’t ATMs—$6.8 trillion spent yearly should pave our roads, not theirs. Helene’s $53 billion bill mocks $183 billion abroad—every penny here fixes homes TODAY. Bessent’s “no dice” isn’t retreat—it’s recalibration: our mess, our money.

Until NC’s Back, No Dice Abroad

Treasury’s “no dice” to Ukraine is a clarion call—every penny stays here until North Carolina’s back. Helene’s wreckage—shuttered farms, broken bridges, lost lives—demands it; $72 billion in taxes earns it. Trump’s “America First,” Musk’s cuts, Bessent’s stance align: states over strangers. X roars agreement: “NC first—end of story!” Who’s in? Anyone who’s seen the flood scars—or paid a dime to D.C. Until every American home’s restored, no cash crosses borders. That’s the deal—take it or leave it.