Scott Bessent is Donald Trump's pick for Treasury secretary. Bessent was a protege of Jewish billionaire George Soros. – The Forward
Jacob Kornbluh:
As President-elect Donald Trump finalized the formation of his cabinet, he tapped for Treasury Secretary a former top ally to Jewish billionaire George Soros, a champion of liberal causes who is frequently the target of antisemitic conspiracy theories from right-wing actors, including Trump himself. The nominee, Scott Bessent, 62, spent more than two decades as a top executive at Soros’s investment fund before leaving to forge his own path, eventually appealing to some of Trump’s most ardent loyalists. Bessent gained Trump’s trust during the campaign by predicting a potential economic fallout if the Democrats won the election and played down Trump’s trade threats in media appearances.
He was picked after jockeying that included three Jewish candidates for the treasury post: Kevin Warsh, an economic policy adviser during the George W. Bush administration and former Federal Reserve Board member; Marc Rowan, CEO of Apollo Global Management; and Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and co-chair of the Trump transition team. Lutnick instead is Trump’s pick to head the Department of Commerce. The Treasury Department plays a crucial role in U.S. policy that matters to American Jews and Israel. It oversees the implementation of economic and trade sanctions on adversaries like Iran and tax exemption of nonprofits. If confirmed, Bessent would succeed Janet Yellen, who is Jewish.
[...] Trump’s selection of a Soros protege to implement his economic agenda is particularly notable given his own use of Soros as a bogeyman in fundraising emails last year to stoke conservative fears. [...] But any hesitation about the Soros connection was apparently overshadowed by Bessent’s close alignment with Trump’s views on key issues. In a recent interview, Bessent endorsed Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, a hallmark of his first term.
Donald Trump picked Scott Bessent to be his Treasury Secretary. Bessent worked for the right-wing’s #1 boogeyman in George Soros for over two decades, and anti-Soros conspiracy theories often delve into antisemitism, both covert and overt.