Scott Bessent shuts down rumours of a potential future presidential run

WASHINGTON, DC: As whispers around the 2028 presidential election grow louder, Scott Bessent has made it clear he has no intention of throwing his hat into the ring.

The 63-year-old Treasury Secretary was filling in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave, on Thursday, May 28, when he was questioned about a potential future presidential run.

During the press briefing, Bessent spoke for more than 30 minutes about the Trump administration’s negotiations with Iran, the impending launch of “Trump Accounts” for children, and other topics, including steps to roll out $250 bills featuring the president’s face.

Scott Bessent denies running for Oval Office

Raising the prospect of future presidential ambitions during the briefing, AFP White House correspondent Danny Kemp pointed out that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both considered possible 2028 hopefuls, had previously stood in for Leavitt in the Brady Briefing Room.

"You’re following in the footsteps at the podium there of Secretary Rubio and Vice President Vance,” Kemp said. “There’s been quite a bit of talk about their possible presidential ambitions. Does your presence here today indicate that we might see you running in 2028?”

Smirking as he dismissed the suggestion, Bessent, who did not hold political office before taking over at the Treasury Department, quipped, “No, I think it just means they’ve run out of things on the food chain.”

Bessent’s two predecessors behind the podium have long denied any plans for launching a presidential run. However, polls suggest the duo could be two of the front-runners for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination if they decide to run.

An Emerson College poll conducted Sunday and Monday showed the 2028 Republican primary race tightening dramatically, with 35.5% of 432 likely GOP voters backing Vance and 34.6% supporting Rubio.

Scott Bessent prepared to roll out $250 bill with Trump's face

During the briefing, Bessent also noted that his Treasury Department is standing by to print $250 bills featuring Donald Trump’s portrait, pending final approval from Congress.

Bessent said that as secretary, he has “two mandates” for currency: “At present, no living person can be on US currency, and the currency must say ‘In God We Trust.’”

He has added that legislation has been proposed to “change the first requirement so that a living person, Donald J. Trump, could be on a $250 bill.”

“At Treasury, we prepare things in advance, so we have prepared in advance that if the legislation is passed, but we will stick to the law,” Bessent said.

Bessent framed the proposal as part of the broader celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary, insisting it should not be conflated with the economic pressures facing consumers.