Scott Bessent, a Gay Man, Confirmed as Treasury Secretary
Bessent, a former hedge fund manager, is now the highest-ranking LGBTQ person serving in the U.S. government.
The U.S. Senate voted 68-29 to confirm Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary, making him the highest-ranking gay official in the United States.
Bessent, a former hedge fund manager, will be tasked with steering President Donald Trump’s economic agenda over the next four years. He has previously expressed support for making Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent and railed against federal spending.
According to CNN, Bessent’s “3-3-3” economic plan aims to bring the federal budget deficit down to 3%, achieve 3% GDP growth, and produce 3 million more barrels of oil a day.
He also announced that he will push for 2.5% across-the-board tariffs on imported goods and rise by the same percentage each month until it reaches 20%, as reported by the Financial Times. He has previously claimed that Trump’s economic plans will lower consumer costs and lead to increased wages.
Bessent has previously touted the significance of his nomination to push back against accusations that Trump is hostile to gays or lesbians.
In a recent statement attacking an Episcopal bishop who lectured the president about showing “mercy” to LGBTQ people and undocumented immigrants and their families, Bessent claimed that the president is “devoid of prejudice when it comes to sexual preference.”
Bessent is one of three gay or lesbian people who are expected to take high-profile positions within the Trump administration. The others include Ric Grenell, who has been nominated as an envoy for special missions, and Fox News host Tammy Bruce as the next spokeswoman for the State Department.
“The LGBTQ+ community is accounting on openly LGBTQ+ nominees like Scott Bessent to step up for the community,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a statement responding to the confirmation. “HRC has a long history of working across the aisle to advance equality, and this appointment may be an opportunity to continue.”
Robinson also noted that Trump has shown a willingness to roll back legal protections for LGBTQ people, evidenced through the executive orders he has issued since taking office on January 20.
“It will be a tough road,” Robinson said. “Donald Trump and his White House are a threat to the rights, freedoms, and lives of LGBTQ+ people. That will be our focus in the upcoming days, months, and years ahead.”
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.