In my opinion, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is one of the more underrated voices among Trump administration cabinet members. But over the last couple of weeks, his star has risen on a national and world stage as he's zeroed in on potential 2028 Democrat presidential candidates.
We saw this, for instance, in his smooth verbal smackdown of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) during the World Economic Forum in Davos last Wednesday. As RedState reported, Bessent remarked that "it's very, very ironic that Gov. Newsom, who strikes me as Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken, may be the only Californian who knows less about economics than Kamala Harris. He's here this week with his billionaire sugar daddy, Alex Soros."
And after Newsom crudely made a kneepads "joke" at another point during the same forum and compared President Trump to a T. rex, Bessent cracked that, "to say strange things, like Trump is a Tyrannosaurus rex, what the hell does that mean? I could say Gavin Newsom is a brontosaurus with a brain the size of a walnut. And if you brought the kneepads, maybe that was for his meeting with Alex Soros."
READ MORE: Bessent Lights Newsom Up Again With Brutally Funny, Spot-On Take About His Failures
Bessent was still on his A game Sunday when he sat down for an interview with ABC News "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl, who has written a number of anti-Trump books. Karl was no doubt itching to ask Bessent for his opinion on the CBP shooting incident that took place Saturday in Minnesota, and which left one protester dead.
But Karl's "gotcha" questions didn't go according to plan when Bessent put what happened into perspective and pointed the finger directly at the state's Democrat governor, Tim Walz, also a potential 2028 presidential candidate, in the process:
KARL: And before you go, I know this is not your lane, but I got to ask you about what's happened in Minneapolis. As a member of the -- of the Trump cabinet, are you concerned to see another American citizen ends up dead, shot by federal law enforcement?
BESSENT: Jonathan, it's a tragedy when anyone dies, but I can tell you the situation on the ground there is being stirred up by Governor Walz. I was out there two weeks ago. Governor Walz declined to provide a security detail for me to go into the Minnesota capital with the state police. So, he is fomenting the -- he is fomenting chaos because there is substantial waste, fraud and abuse.
My job as Treasury secretary is to investigate that, and I think that, you know, this chaos that's going on out there, and again, I am sorry that this gentleman is dead, but he did bring a nine-millimeter semi-automatic weapon with two cartridges to what was supposed to be a peaceful protest. I think that there are a lot of paid agitators who are ginning things up, and the governor has not done a good job of tamping this down.
KARL: Yes. I mean, as you know, he was an ICU nurse, worked for the Veterans Administration, and there's no evidence that he brandished the gun whatsoever. In fact, it appears that --
BESSENT: He brought a gun. (CROSSTALK)
KARL: He'd been disarmed before he was -- (CROSSTALK)
BESSENT: He brought a gun. Have you ever gone to a protest, Jonathan?
KARL: I mean, we do have a Second Amendment in this country that --
BESSENT: Jonathan, have you ever gone to a protest?
KARL: I mean --
BESSENT: Have you gone to a protest?
KARL: I mean, I've -- no, actually, as a reporter covering it.
BESSENT: OK. I've been to a protest.
KARL: Yes.
BESSENT: Guess what? I didn't bring a gun. I brought a billboard.
KARL: OK. Secretary Bessent, thank you for joining us.
Watch:
🚨 HOLY SMOKES. Sec. Scott Bessent just EXPOSED Tim Walz after Fake News ABC tried goading him into attacking ICE
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 25, 2026
"I was out there two weeks ago, Governor Walz DECLINED to provide a security detail for me to go into the Minnesota Capitol with the state police! So he is FOMENTING… pic.twitter.com/O5GQmrbm9h
To stay up to date on the latest developments on the evolving situation in Minnesota, click here.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy RedState’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use the promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member