U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: Trump Chose Me for Qualifications, Not My Sexuality
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that his sexual orientation played no role in his nomination to lead the department by President Donald Trump. The 64-year-old Cabinet official shared these remarks during an interview with Axios co-founder Mike Allen, as reported by LGBTQ+ publications Washington Blade and LGBTQ Nation. Speaking for more than 40 minutes in the Treasury building’s historic Cash Room in Washington, D.C., Bessent emphasized that meritocracy governs the president’s staffing decisions while reflecting candidly on his personal and professional journey.
According to Bessent, President Trump often addresses his open homosexuality with lighthearted humor. He recalled frequent jokes by the president regarding First Lady Melania Trump’s acquaintances: “He’ll occasionally tell me: ‘You’re breaking Melania’s friends’ hearts. They see you on TV, and they want an intro, and we have to break the news to them.’” Bessent added that his identity creates no barrier within the administration: “The president chose me because he believes I’m the best candidate, not because of my sexual preference, not because treasury secretaries with green eyes do better. And I think it is a tribute to President Trump that he looks at people as people.”
Bessent also discussed the arc of his career. In 1979, as a young man, he chose not to attend the U.S. Naval Academy because military prohibitions against gay service members would have prevented him from serving openly. Instead, he graduated from Yale University in 1984 and built a prominent career in global finance on Wall Street. “If you had told me in 1984, when people were dying of AIDS, that thirty years later I’d be legally married and we would have two children via surrogacy, I wouldn’t have believed you,” he observed. Bessent has been legally married to former New York prosecutor John Freeman since 2011; the couple is raising a son and a daughter.
Bessent’s appointment represents a historic milestone: he is the first openly gay person confirmed by the Senate to a Cabinet post in a Republican administration and the highest-ranking LGBTQ+ official in American history, standing fifth in the presidential line of succession. His tenure has sparked considerable debate in U.S. political circles. While conservative commentators applaud the focus on qualifications over demographic quotas, prominent LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations have voiced concern over broader administration directives, including federal restrictions on pediatric gender-affirming care, changes to Title IX school guidelines, and reviews of international health programs.
Established in 1789, the U.S. Department of the Treasury is among the oldest executive departments in the federal government. The Treasury Secretary oversees fiscal policy, taxation, economic sanctions, and the federal debt while serving as the principal economic adviser to the president.
Previously, Urania covered developments among American LGBTQ+ conservatives, including endorsements by Log Cabin Republicans ahead of the midterm congressional elections and the organization’s strategic decision to focus primarily on LGB rights.
