Scott Bessent, a Gay Man, Confirmed as Treasury Secretary
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.
