Scott Bessent is often held up as one of the saner and more sober members of the Trump administration. His appointment in November 2024 piqued more than a few eyebrows, given he is openly gay, co-hosted a fundraiser for Al Gore in 2000, and even worked for many years at Soros Fund Management, an investment firm owned by Democratic mega-donor and MAGA bete noire George Soros.
The general received wisdom in Washington circles – a circle where both receiving and wisdom are becoming increasingly rare – was that Bessent would be a sobering influence on Trump, a view that turned out to be optimism bordering on foolishness.
