Gov. Newsom’s Homophobic Attack on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

This month Governor Gavin Newsom has shown a penchant for homophobia at least three distinct times. Most recently he mocked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a homophobic post via X last week. The two men have been engaged in a battle of words and insults ever since the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

In a post from the official Governor Newsom Press Office profile on X, Scott Bessent was portrayed in an undoubtedly AI-generated picture mockup of The Real Housewives of Davos. Bessent is shown reclining on a couch, head tilted, smirking, and holding a glass of champagne. The picture includes an insignia giving Bessent the moniker “Bootlickin’ Scott”. The post also includes a caption reminiscent of a Real Housewives tagline that reads, “I always defend my man. My motto: it’s hedge FUN not hedge fund.”

“I always defend my man. My motto: it’s hedge FUN not hedge fund.”

Premiering this Sunday! pic.twitter.com/vKP5ZOkDPP

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) January 23, 2026

Scott Bessent currently serves as the U.S. Treasury Secretary in the Trump administration, and he has the honor of being the highest-ranking openly gay government official in American history. Bessent’s sexuality is not something the general public may be aware of since most mainstream media does not want to flaunt the fact the President Trump entrusted a gay man to run a highly important sector of his administration. However, Gavin Newsom is most assuredly aware that Bessent is a gay man. Why else would he use veiled homophobia to attack him?

The X post makes references to many gay stereotypes—everything from the way Bessent is posed on the couch to his clothes. It is also a common trope to assume that all gay men consume reality shows like the Real Housewives due to the overly dramatic and catty nature of the program, an assumption that many might find offensive.

However, the most blatantly homophobic aspect of the post is in the insinuation that Bessent and President Trump have a non-platonic relationship. In the phrase “I always defend my man”,  Newsom is alluding to a romantic partnership between the two men, and in calling Bessent “Bootlickin’ Scott”, the allusion is given a fetishized sexual undertone. While supporters of Governor Newsom might dismiss the post as suggesting Bessent is merely a sycophant, to knowingly say these things about a gay man is insensitive and precisely the type of behavior Democrats pretend to find morally reprehensible.

Furthermore, it is much harder to consider this a one-time, careless lapse of judgment in light of other recent remarks and actions made by Newsom. While present at the World Economic Forum, the news outlet Semafor interviewed Newsom in which he complained that political, business, and academic leaders were capitulating to President Trump and his administration. He then held up a pair of knee pads with Trump’s signature emblazoned on them that Newsom presumably had designed and manufactured on his own accord. “The last round of knee pads sold out, just as our law firms are selling out. Many American universities are selling out, and yes, many corporate leaders are selling out to this administration,” Newsom said during the interview. Most of the “sell-outs” Newsom is referring to are men, and to claim that they are kneeling before Trump to perform a sexual act is another disgustingly blatant homophobic remark.

But it seems for Governor Newsom, bouts of homophobia come in threes. Even earlier in the month, after the revelations of fraud in Minnesota made news, conservative podcaster Benny Johnson announced he would be visiting California in search of similar fraud. “The fraud uncovered in Minnesota was very bad and led to the destruction of Tim Walz’s career. But Gavin Newsom’s California is far worse. The American taxpayer needs to see firsthand how criminal California fraud is robbing our nation blind,” Johnson said. In response to Johnson’s impending visit to California, Newsom retorted, “We’ll make sure Grindr servers are ready.” Grindr is a popular app among gay men who partake in hookup culture and who are looking to engage in recreational sex. Insinuating that Benny Johnson, a married man and father, is a closeted homosexual who would use an app to cheat on his wife with men is blatant homophobia.

If any of Newsom’s actions or statements were isolated, it would be easy to dismiss it and give him the benefit of the doubt. However, three separate instances of homophobia makes a pattern. For someone who pretends to respect and care for the gay community, these recent statements paint a very different picture. But of course Newsom’s actions and words betray the reality of most Democrat politicians. Homophobia is acceptable when it is aimed at conservatives. Similarly, racism is acceptable when it is aimed at conservatives. And extrapolating outward, prejudice and hatred are acceptable when aimed at one’s political opposition. This is the reprehensible hypocrisy of today’s modern leftist. One can only hope Newsom’s words will come back to haunt him when he runs in the upcoming Democratic presidential primary.