Donald Trump has chosen a close friend of King Charles and Queen Camilla as America’s first gay treasury secretary.
Billionaire Scott Bessent has long been a supporter of the King’s causes, while Camilla stayed at his sprawling home in the Hamptons, New York, in 1999 during her first solo trip to the US.
A source said: ‘Scott has known King Charles for many years. He was a strong supporter of the Prince’s Trust when Charles was Prince of Wales.
‘They became very close after Princess Diana died and Scott was part of the plan to improve Camilla’s image.
“She came to the US in 1999 and stayed with him and he introduced her to everyone in New York society. They remain close and Scott often attends private fundraisers at the palace.”
The president-elect made the announcement Friday evening, saying, “Scott will help me usher in a new golden age for the United States.”
Mr. Bessent, who has been out of the closet since he was 20, will become the first gay Republican Cabinet member. Democrat Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden’s Secretary of Transportation, was the first gay Cabinet pick ever.
The Wall Street source added: “President Trump has been labeled homophobic by his opponents, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Donald Trump’s pick for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is friends with King Charles and Queen Camilla
The president-elect announced Mr. Bessent’s appointment on Friday evening, saying he would help usher in a “golden age” for America
‘He has been friends with Scott for years and his sexuality has never been an issue. The president doesn’t care about that kind of thing. In fact, he and Melania actively support Republican LGBT groups and often bring them to Mar-a-Lago. It’s no big deal.’
Mr. Bessent, who has two children with his lawyer husband, will be responsible for major financial decisions, including Mr. Trump’s controversial plan to impose tariffs of up to 60 percent on imported goods.
He will also be responsible for reducing the record $36 trillion U.S. national debt while delivering tax cuts for the middle class, and overseeing the allocation of federal funds to support Trump’s plans to deport millions of illegal immigrants, who will start on January 20. , the day the president-elect takes office.
Mr. Bessent, who spent decades working for left-wing investor George Soros, one of the Democratic Party’s biggest donors, switched alliances when Mr. Trump first ran for the White House in 2016.
A source said Mr Bessent had known the King ‘for years’ and was a strong supporter of the Prince’s Trust.
Often called a ‘financial genius’, he made a name for himself by betting on the pound during the ‘Black Wednesday’ crash of 1992, which netted his company $1 billion.
The 62-year-old, a South Carolina native, has spoken about his drive to succeed after watching his father, a real estate investor, struggle.
“I’ve had financial problems and I don’t want that for any family,” he said.
The financier launched the Key Square hedge fund in 2015 and has since given away millions to it