Treasury Secretary Bessent Says He Was Target of Assassination Attempt

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated Thursday that he was the target of an assassination attempt by a left-wing activist two hours after being sworn into office. Fox News reported that Bessent made the statement at the State Department's Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism. Bessent said he was referring to Ryan Michael English, a 24-year-old Massachusetts man.

Fox News reported that English pleaded guilty in March to charges related to attempting to assassinate the then-Treasury secretary nominee at the U.S. Capitol. English traveled to Washington on January 27, 2025, carrying a folding knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails, according to the Justice Department.

He approached a U.S. Capitol Police officer and asked to turn himself in. Prosecutors said English admitted he had come to the Capitol intending to kill a Cabinet nominee whose Senate confirmation vote was scheduled that day or burn down a Washington think tank.

English pleaded guilty in March to one count of unlawful receipt, possession and transfer of a firearm and one count of carrying a dangerous weapon on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14.

Fox News reported that representatives from roughly 65 countries attended the summit. Before his time as Treasury secretary, Bessent served as chief investment officer at Soros Fund Management from 2011 to 2015 and later launched Key Square Capital Management with backing from George Soros.