President Donald Trump appears to have a new way of getting what he wants—even when it comes to White House artwork.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed a bizarre exchange involving a prized painting of Alexander Hamilton that was moved from the Treasury Department after Trump intervened.
During an interview with Fox News’ Jesse Watters, Bessent was asked whether the president ever requests items from the Treasury Department for the White House.
“Does the president ever say, ‘Mr. Bessent, I’d like to take some things from the Treasury Department and bring them to the White House?’” Watters asked.
“Well, in the Roosevelt Room there is a beautiful painting of Alexander Hamilton that used to be outside my door,” Bessent responded.
When Watters followed up with “Used to be...,” Bessent confirmed the artwork was no longer there.
“Used to be… The president sent over some beautiful gold gilding for my office so wasn’t exactly an even trade but for President Trump it was pretty even,” Bessent said.
Watters noted, “He usually comes out on top.”
Bessent then appeared to gush over the president, replying: “Not usually, ALWAYS!”
In November 2016, Trump railed against the cast of the Broadway musical, Hamilton, after actor Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays Vice President Aaron Burr, gave then president-elect Mike Pence a lecture after a performance of the hit musical on American values.
Trump, who has often been compared to Burr, a man described as being “one of the most unprincipled men in the United States, then squared off with Dixon on Twitter in the equivalent of a modern-day duel, calling for the actor to apologize.
It is not the first time Trump has helped himself to something from a Cabinet official’s office.
The last incident was just earlier this month, when the 80-year-old president stole a clock from his secretary of state, Marco Rubio.
Trump revealed he had placed the clock in his redesigned Cabinet room.
“So as president, you have the power—if I go into the State Department, or Department of Commerce or Treasury—if I see anything that I like, I’m allowed to take it. Can you believe this?” Trump said.
Trump then recounted how he persuaded Secretary of State Marco Rubio to part with a grandfather clock from his office for the White House Cabinet Room.
Joking that he first tried to convince Rubio voluntarily, Trump said he eventually reminded him, “Marco, I have the right to do it,” while slapping Rubio on the back twice.
He concluded by calling the clock Rubio’s “contribution to the Cabinet Room,” adding, “it’s an incredible clock.”
