Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been accused of making a crude and sexist joke about a female MAGA Congresswoman’s breasts at a St Patrick’s Day party in her home state.
The Cabinet official reportedly took aim at Nancy Mace’s cleavage at the annual Irish celebration at Hibernian Hall in Charleston, a historic downtown venue known for its elite guest lists and sought-after events.
According to South Carolina-based website FITSNews, Bessent told the crowd that Mace, who is running to be the state’s governor, made news that day by “not doing anything crazy”—a reference to her often erratic and headline-grabbing antics.
But it was his next joke that was worthy of a headline itself, with Bessent reportedly telling attendees: “In California, Silicon Valley is where they make the computers. In South Carolina, Silicon Valley is the space between Nancy Mace’s t---.”
The comments formed part of a broader speech, in which Bessent also poked fun at Donald Trump’s power grabs—joking that he was now plotting a takeover of Ireland—as well as the longstanding rumors surrounding Senator Lindsey Graham’s sexuality.
“The reason Lindsey Graham isn’t married is he has no first cousins in the Upstate,” Bessent, the first openly gay cabinet member to serve under a Republican president, was quoted as saying.
But while Bessent’s speech was reportedly a hit with many of the St Patrick’s Day guests, his off-color comments about Mace are likely to raise eyebrows given his status as one of the administration’s top officials.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Treasury Secretary, as well as Mace, who has made no secret of her disdain for alleged misogyny and mistreatment of women.
Last year, for instance, she delivered a scorched earth speech on the House floor to accuse four men—including her former fiancé—of being sexual “predators”. She alleged that she was raped, using graphic details and bringing props like handcuffs. The men have denied her allegations.
She’s also no stranger to the limelight. One profanity-laced episode took place earlier this year, when Mace was accused of berating Charleston Airport police after a “minor miscommunication” left her without a security escort to her gate.
Bessent, meanwhile, has been in Trump’s orbit for years, helping to boost his inauguration funding and connections to major Republican fundraising networks.
But the 63-year-old is also known for his fiery temperament, which has led the billionaire and former hedge-fund businessman to come close to blows with other Trump allies.
Among them was Elon Musk, with the pair clashing heatedly last year within earshot of Trump and other White House staff.
A few months later, he lashed out at another Trump ally, Bill Pulte, over allegations that the housing director had been bad-mouthing him to Trump.
“Why the f--- are you talking to the president about me? F--- you,” he was quoted as saying. “I’m gonna punch you in your f------g face.”
