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A transgender woman, Ryan Michael English, has been sentenced to over six years in prison for an assassination attempt on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The Justice Department stated that English, who is identified as a transgender woman, traveled from South Deerfield, Massachusetts, to Washington, D.C., with a folding knife and two Molotov cocktails before surrendering to Capitol Police.
English pleaded guilty to multiple federal firearm charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm and carrying a dangerous weapon on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. According to Fox News, English admitted to planning to kill Bessent or burn down a D.C.-based think tank. English told police, "I was going to kill Scott Bessent," confirming the intent behind the plot.
The incident occurred on January 27, 2025, just two hours after Bessent was sworn into office. Mediaite reported that English had initially targeted other officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, but focused on Bessent after seeing him on television.
English's actions were partly inspired by Luigi Mangione, as English revealed to investigators. The sentencing, which took place on Tuesday (August 18), resulted in a 73-month prison term, as noted by WJLA. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro emphasized the importance of protecting public officials from threats and violence, stating that anyone who threatens government officials will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.